The immediate past Deputy Governor of Kano State, Aminu Abdussalam, is expected to emerge as the consensus governorship candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, following endorsement by the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The decision was reached after several private consultations involving key figures within the Kwankwasiyya camp and political stakeholders aligned with the movement, according to Politics Nigeria.
Abdussalam’s emergence comes months after he resigned from office in March, shortly after the Kano State House of Assembly issued him an impeachment notice.
Kwankwaso had earlier dumped the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) before eventually joining the NDC alongside former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi. The former Kano governor is widely expected to contest the 2027 presidential election as Obi’s running mate.
Before Abdussalam was chosen, former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 2023 election, Nasiru Gawuna, was considered a major contender for the NDC ticket. However, Kwankwaso reportedly settled for Abdussalam during consultations held on Wednesday.
Insiders revealed that Kwankwaso offered Gawuna either the deputy governorship position or the Kano Central Senatorial ticket, but the former APC candidate declined both proposals while reaffirming his commitment to the party’s success.
According to sources, Gawuna informed Kwankwaso that his decision to join the Kwankwasiyya Movement was unconditional, stressing that he would not abandon the platform because he failed to secure the governorship ticket.
His refusal of the offers was said to have delayed the planned unveiling of Abdussalam on Wednesday, as some influential stakeholders continued to pressure Kwankwaso to reconsider Gawuna’s candidacy because of his perceived electoral advantage.
Supporters of Gawuna argued that the most viable candidate to challenge Governor Abba Yusuf should come from Kano Central Senatorial District.
“First, Gawuna is very popular in Kano Central, where majority of the votes come from. Secondly, since Abba is from Kano Central, and is serving his first term office, the best solution is to field a candidate from the zone, so that the zone may not feel shortchanged. This is the same principle the NDC applied at the national level by zoning presidency to the South since a southern president is serving his first term in office,” said an insider who preferred anonymity.
However, loyalists backing Abdussalam insisted that the former deputy governor had demonstrated exceptional loyalty and dedication to the movement over the years.
