The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State has made a mistake? Fielding son of Sani Abacha as its governorship candidate for 2027 elections? Maybe or maybe not.
The decision to use Alhaji Muhammad Sani Abacha, son of former Head of State General Sani Abacha, as the flag-bearer was taken yesterday. Speaking during the expanded executive committee meeting, the state PDP Chairman, Dr Bello Gambo Bichi, said the decision was in line with the party’s constitution.
Bello Dalha had earlier won the party’s governorship primary, but he withdrew following the so-called consultations with the party’s stakeholders both in Kano and in Abuja, Bichi said.
“The law says that as a result of withdrawal, a replacement primary must be held. That is what brought us here today. We have affirmed Muhammad Sani Abacha as the gubernatorial candidate of our great party in Kano State,” the chairman said.
Essentially, the executive meeting was about conducting an affirmation and replacement primary so Alhaji Muhammad Sani Abacha would legally replace Dalha in accordance with PDP guidelines.
At the surface, the exercise looks like a deliberate brotherly play. But those who has followed the development within the party in Kano know that it wasn’t. It looks more like PDP in the state is rearranging its internal wranglings so they may assume another form.
The chairman of the electoral panel, Dr Abba Abdullahi, announced Sani Abacha as the winner. And Kano State former commissioner for land and agriculture and former factional chairman of PDP in the state, Alhaji Yusuf Ado Kibiya was announced the deputy governorship candidate. Ado Kibiya is from one of the PDP factions led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki.
They would be competing for the 6 million votes with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Abba Kabir Yusuf, in 2027 poll.