Politics

Sani Abacha’s Son Emerges Kano PDP Governorship Candidate for 2027

Published

2 months ago

September 17, 2026

Muhammad Sani Abacha

Sani Abacha’s Son Emerges Kano PDP Governorship Candidate for 2027

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State has affirmed Muhammad Sani Abacha, son of former military Head of State General Sani Abacha, as its candidate for the 2027 Kano State governorship election following the withdrawal of the party’s earlier flag bearer, Muhammad Bello Dalha.

Abacha emerged on Wednesday, September 16, during an expanded meeting of the Kano PDP State Executive Committee, where the party conducted an affirmation and replacement primary to fill the vacancy created by Dalha’s withdrawal.

The development was announced by the Kano PDP Chairman, Bello Gambo Bichi, who said Dalha had voluntarily stepped down after consultations with party stakeholders in Kano and at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.

Bichi explained that Dalha had earlier won the party’s governorship primary but subsequently withdrew, making a replacement process necessary under the applicable electoral and party rules.

The replacement exercise was witnessed by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The chairman of the replacement primary election panel, Dr Abba Abdullahi, formally declared Abacha the PDP’s governorship candidate after the exercise. He said the process was conducted in accordance with the PDP constitution, party guidelines, relevant regulations and applicable electoral laws.

Abdullahi also said Abacha had satisfied the requirements for nomination, while noting that his candidacy remained subject to the applicable statutory processes and scrutiny by the relevant electoral authorities.

The latest development marks a return for Abacha to the Kano governorship race. He contested the 2023 governorship election on the PDP platform and finished third in that election.

His return follows an earlier PDP primary in which Dalha emerged as the party’s candidate. Dalha’s subsequent withdrawal has now paved the way for Abacha to return to the contest through the replacement process.

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The PDP has also named Yusuf Ado Kibiya, a former Kano PDP chairman and former commissioner, as Abacha’s running mate.

According to the party leadership, Kibiya’s selection formed part of a reconciliation arrangement aimed at resolving divisions between rival factions within the Kano PDP.

Bichi said the deputy governorship slot was allocated to the faction associated with former Minister of Special Duties Kabiru Tanimu Turaki as part of the reconciliation process.

The party chairman said the agreement was reached after consultations and that the arrangement had resolved the factional dispute within the Kano PDP.

The reconciliation has also affected other positions on the party’s ticket, with Bichi disclosing that some candidates for the National Assembly and Kano State House of Assembly were replaced as part of the agreement to accommodate members of the different factions.

The PDP leadership has urged its members, leaders and supporters to unite behind the new governorship ticket as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.

Bichi described the development as a new phase for the Kano PDP and said the party was strengthening its internal structure ahead of the election.

The emergence of Abacha gives the PDP a candidate with previous experience of contesting the Kano governorship. His 2023 campaign was conducted under the PDP, although he did not win the election.

The political landscape in Kano has since changed, with parties preparing new structures and candidates for the 2027 contest.

The PDP’s latest decision also illustrates the role of candidate replacement and internal reconciliation in the preparations for the next election. Rather than overturning the earlier primary result, the party’s process followed the withdrawal of the candidate who had initially secured its ticket.

The party has maintained that the replacement exercise complied with the Electoral Act, its constitution and relevant electoral guidelines. INEC representatives were present during the process, according to the PDP leadership and reports of the exercise. (Vanguard News)

For now, Abacha becomes the PDP’s candidate for the Kano governorship election, with Kibiya as his running mate, while the party moves to consolidate its structure and prepare for the wider electoral contest.

The nomination remains subject to the statutory electoral processes that apply before the 2027 election.

With the replacement of Dalha and the accompanying reconciliation between the rival factions, the Kano PDP will now focus on campaigning, mobilisation and presenting its new ticket to voters as preparations for the 2027 election intensify.

Sani Abacha’s Son Emerges Kano PDP Governorship Candidate for 2027

Politics

Umahi Disowns Peter Obi, Says South East Has No Presidential Candidate for 2027

Published

11 minutes ago

November 1, 2026

Trends Admin

Umahi Disowns Peter Obi, Says South East Has No Presidential Candidate for 2027

ABUJA – The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has stirred the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections, declaring that the South-East geopolitical zone currently has no presidential candidate.

Speaking during a political event on Sunday, Umahi specifically dismissed the presidential ambitions of Mr. Peter Obi, the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), stating that the former Anambra State Governor does not represent the interest of the region.

The Minister’s comments come amid rising political realignments as the nation looks toward the next electoral cycle. While Peter Obi, who was the Labour Party (LP) flagbearer in the 2023 election, has maintained a strong grassroots following, Umahi insisted that the South-East does not have a “consensus” candidate.

Addressing supporters, Umahi, who is a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), emphasized that the South-East is not yet ready to project a candidate for the presidency. He described the NDC and its candidate as lacking the structure and national appeal required to secure the highest office in the land.

“Let me be clear: there is no presidential candidate in the South-East in the 2027 general election,” Umahi stated. “We are not just looking for a candidate; we are looking for a President. As it stands, the region has not produced a candidate that we can all rally around.”

The Minister’s dismissal of Obi is seen as a significant political statement, highlighting the ongoing fragmentation within the South-East political elite. While Obi enjoys a massive cult-like following—often referred to as the “Obidient” movement—his relationship with key political figures in the region, particularly those in the APC, has soured since the 2023 elections.

Umahi’s remarks suggest a strategic shift by the ruling party to consolidate its grip on the South-East, potentially sidelining the Labour Party/NDC influence in the region. By declaring that there is “no candidate,” Umahi may be signaling that the APC is open to negotiations or that the region should align with the national ruling party to secure developmental benefits, rather than running a “lone race” that may end in defeat.

Political analysts suggest that Umahi’s statement is a direct attack on the viability of the NDC and Peter Obi’s renewed bid. It remains to be seen how Peter Obi’s supporters and the leadership of the NDC will respond to the Minister’s assertion that the South-East has no candidate.

As the 2027 elections draw closer, the battle for the soul of the South-East—and the definition of its true political leadership—is clearly heating up.

Umahi Disowns Peter Obi, Says South East Has No Presidential Candidate for 2027

Politics

2027: ‘Tinubu Must Stay’ Chants Rock Jigawa as NITDA DG Opens Campaign Office

Published

4 hours ago

November 1, 2026

Trends Admin

2027: ‘Tinubu Must Stay’ Chants Rock Jigawa as NITDA DG Opens Campaign Office

A crowd of supporters in Jigawa State has chanted “Tinubu Must Stay” as the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, led a grassroots mobilisation campaign in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s anticipated re-election bid in 2027.

The mobilisation took place on Sunday, November 1, at Garun Gabas Ward in Malam Madori Local Government Area, where Abdullahi inaugurated a campaign office for the Tinubu Movement for Sustainable Governance Foundation (TMS), popularly known as the Tinubu Must Stay Movement.

The event attracted All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains, community leaders, women, youths and other supporters. It also provided a platform for some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to announce their defection to the APC.

Abdullahi, who is the chairman of the TMS Board of Trustees and its national coordinator, said the movement was expanding its grassroots structures to promote public understanding of the Tinubu administration’s policies and mobilise support for the President ahead of the 2027 general election.

He explained that the group intended to take the administration’s reform agenda to communities across the country, particularly its emphasis on economic diversification and inclusive national development.

According to him, the administration’s interventions in education, agriculture, food security, national security, digital literacy and healthcare were designed to stimulate economic growth, improve livelihoods and strengthen national development.

The NITDA director-general cited South Korea, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia as examples of countries whose development experiences, he argued, demonstrated the importance of sustained economic reforms and policy consistency.

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He urged residents to support Tinubu’s return to office in 2027, expressing the view that continuity would help sustain the administration’s development agenda.

“On this note, I implore the people to come out en masse and ensure a landslide victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027,” Abdullahi told the gathering.

Beyond political mobilisation, he announced plans to empower an additional 200 women in Garun Gabas Ward through the movement’s community intervention programmes.

He said the proposed intervention would complement previous empowerment exercises in Jigawa State, including a recent programme in Hadejia, where beneficiaries reportedly received financial assistance, sewing machines, bakery equipment and agricultural inputs to support small businesses and improve household incomes.

Abdullahi added that the movement would continue to prioritise women, youths, children and persons with disabilities through economic empowerment, educational assistance and other community development initiatives.

He also thanked residents for their support for Tinubu’s administration, assuring them that the movement would sustain its engagement with communities.

The gathering also witnessed the reception of some defectors from the PDP and NDC into the APC. The new members, who were received by Abdullahi and the Malam Madori APC leadership, attributed their decision to what they described as development interventions and improvements in their communities.

They specifically cited projects facilitated through NITDA, saying the interventions had strengthened their confidence in the administration’s development agenda.

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Speaking at the event, the APC chairman in Malam Madori Local Government Area, Alhaji Tanko Ahmad, commended Abdullahi for facilitating digital infrastructure projects, particularly the establishment of an Information and Communication Technology Development Centre at Government Secondary School, Garun Gabas.

Ahmad said the facility had expanded students’ access to digital skills and improved opportunities for young people to prepare for an increasingly technology-driven economy.

He pledged the support of the party’s structures in the area for the Tinubu Must Stay Movement and its planned grassroots mobilisation activities ahead of the 2027 elections.

The movement’s convener in Garun Gabas, Engineer Hashim Suleiman, described the turnout as an indication of local support for the initiative.

He said the movement began its activities in the United Kingdom before its formal launch in Abuja and subsequent expansion into communities across Nigeria.

Suleiman described the inauguration as the beginning of further grassroots engagements and urged beneficiaries of the empowerment programmes to use the assistance productively to establish sustainable businesses.

The ceremony ended with the presentation of an Award of Recognition to Abdullahi by the TMS leadership in Garun Gabas in acknowledgement of his contributions to digital infrastructure development and grassroots engagement.

The organisers said the movement planned to establish more structures across Jigawa and other parts of the country through political sensitisation, community engagement and empowerment programmes as preparations for the 2027 presidential election gather momentum.

2027: ‘Tinubu Must Stay’ Chants Rock Jigawa as NITDA DG Opens Campaign Office

Politics

Rhodes-Vivour Tackles Lagos Government Over Threat to Seal Residents’ Boreholes

Published

1 day ago

October 31, 2026

Trends Admin

Lagos State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour

Rhodes-Vivour Tackles Lagos Government Over Threat to Seal Residents’ Boreholes

The Lagos State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has criticised the state government over its threat to seal properties operating unauthorised boreholes, raising fresh concerns about access to water and the regulation of groundwater resources in the state.

The controversy followed a warning by the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) that property owners who drill boreholes or extract groundwater without the necessary permits risk having their facilities sealed and facing prosecution.

The commission said the enforcement measure was part of efforts to protect underground water resources, prevent contamination and ensure the sustainable management of groundwater across Lagos.

LASWARCO’s Executive Secretary, Oluwabukola Khadijah Adeyemo, explained that the agency had the statutory responsibility to regulate borehole drilling, groundwater extraction and water supply services in the state.

She said unauthorised groundwater extraction could pose environmental and public health risks, including contamination of underground water sources and land subsidence.

Adeyemo warned that the commission would take action against individuals and organisations operating boreholes without the required approval, including sealing affected facilities and prosecuting offenders.

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The commission also advised residents, businesses and property developers intending to drill boreholes to obtain the necessary permits before commencing operations.

It encouraged members of the public to report suspected cases of unauthorised borehole drilling and groundwater extraction as part of efforts to strengthen compliance with water regulations.

The agency provided 0816 878 2223 as its complaint hotline and directed residents seeking further information to its office at Block 19, third floor, Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.

However, the enforcement warning has brought renewed attention to the dependence of many Lagos residents on privately owned boreholes for their daily water needs.

Across several communities, households and businesses rely on groundwater because public water supply is either unavailable, irregular or insufficient to meet their requirements.

This situation has raised questions about how the government intends to balance environmental protection and water regulation with residents’ need for affordable and reliable access to water.

While the government maintains that permits are necessary to protect groundwater resources and prevent environmental damage, the proposed enforcement has also drawn attention to the financial and practical implications of compliance for property owners.

The debate comes against the background of efforts by the Lagos State Government to regulate groundwater extraction and improve the management of water resources.

The state has maintained that borehole drilling and groundwater extraction must comply with existing environmental and water-sector regulations.

The latest controversy has consequently placed water access, borehole regulation and environmental protection at the centre of public discussion in Lagos.

Rhodes-Vivour’s criticism also gives the issue a political dimension as attention gradually shifts towards the 2027 Lagos governorship election.

Editorial note: The precise wording and specific arguments in Rhodes-Vivour’s reaction have not been independently established from the material available. His original statement should be checked before publication to ensure his position is accurately represented.