- The Kano State chapter of the PDP replaced its governorship candidate, Muhammad Bello Dalha, with Muhammad Sani Abacha ahead of the 2027 election.
- Kano PDP chairman, Bello Gambo Bichi, said Dalha withdrew after consultations in Kano and Abuja, so the party held an affirmation and replacement primary.
- The PDP also named Yusuf Ado Kibiya as deputy governorship candidate for the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki faction, as INEC monitored wider candidate changes to end factions.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State has replaced its earlier governorship candidate, Muhammad Bello Dalha, with Muhammad Sani Abacha, son of former military Head of State, Sani Abacha, ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The change followed Dalha’s withdrawal from the race, the state chapter of the party said.
CityNews understands that the replacement was formalised on Wednesday at an expanded meeting of the PDP State Executive Committee in Kano, where the party conducted an affirmation and replacement primary.
The state chairman of the party, Bello Gambo Bichi, said the decision followed consultations with stakeholders in Kano and Abuja and was in line with the party’s constitution and relevant electoral requirements
“Last time we did a primary election in which Muhammad Bello Dalha was declared winner. But following consultations among stakeholders in Kano and Abuja, the candidate decided to withdraw.
“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,” Bichi said.
Following the withdrawal, the party held a replacement primary, with the chairman of the electoral panel, Abba Abdullahi, declaring Abacha the winner.
Abdullahi said the exercise complied with the party’s guidelines and applicable electoral regulations, adding that Abacha met the requirements to contest the election.
The PDP also adjusted its deputy governorship ticket as part of its efforts to settle its longstanding internal divisions within the party in the state.
Bichi said the deputy governorship slot had been conceded to the faction associated with Kabiru Tanimu Turaki.
As a result, a former factional chairman of the PDP and former commissioner for land and agriculture, Yusuf Ado Kibiya, was named the new deputy governorship candidate.
“After wide consultation and reconciliation, we agreed to give the deputy governorship slot to the Turaki faction here in Kano. With this, there is no more faction in Kano PDP. We have reconciled,” Bichi said.
He added that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored the exercise.
Bichi also disclosed that the party had changed some of its candidates for the National Assembly and State Assembly elections as part of the reconciliation process.
According to him, the adjustments were designed to accommodate members of the various factions and promote unity within the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
