Muhammad Sani Abacha, son of former Nigerian Head of State General Sani Abacha, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for the 2027 governorship election in Kano State.
Abacha was confirmed as the party’s flag bearer on Wednesday, September 16, following the withdrawal of the PDP’s previously selected candidate, Muhammad Bello Dalha. The development led the Kano State chapter of the party to conduct a replacement governorship primary.
The process took place during an expanded meeting of the Kano State PDP executive committee, where party officials and stakeholders formally considered the replacement of the earlier candidate. PDP State Chairman, Bello Gambo Bichi, said the replacement exercise followed the party’s rules and applicable electoral requirements.
Dalha had emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidate after defeating Abacha in the party’s earlier primary in May. At that contest, Dalha secured 2,233 votes against Abacha’s 749 votes. He later withdrew from the race following consultations involving party stakeholders in Kano and Abuja, prompting the need for a replacement process.
Following the withdrawal, Abacha was formally affirmed and declared the winner of the replacement primary by the chairman of the electoral panel, Dr Abba Abdullahi. The panel said the exercise was conducted in accordance with the PDP’s guidelines and relevant electoral regulations.
The party also announced Yusuf Ado Kibiya, a former PDP state chairman and former commissioner, as Abacha’s running mate. According to Bichi, the decision was part of efforts to reconcile different groups within the Kano PDP.
Bichi said the deputy governorship position was allocated to the group associated with former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, as part of the reconciliation arrangement. The party chairman also disclosed that some candidates for National Assembly and Kano State House of Assembly seats were changed during the broader reconciliation process.
Representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission were reportedly present during the replacement exercise. The PDP said the nomination remains subject to the relevant statutory processes and scrutiny by the appropriate electoral authorities.
Abacha has previously contested the Kano governorship election under the PDP. In the 2023 election, he finished third, behind the candidate of the All Progressives Congress and the eventual winner, the New Nigeria Peoples Party candidate.
His latest emergence gives the Kano PDP a new candidate ahead of the 2027 governorship election, after the party changed its original ticket following Dalha’s withdrawal. The party’s latest decisions have also altered its deputy governorship and some legislative tickets as part of its internal reconciliation efforts.
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