Muhammad Sani Abacha, son of former Nigerian Head of State General Sani Abacha, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2027 Kano State governorship election.
His emergence followed the withdrawal of the party’s earlier candidate, Muhammad Bello Dalha, who had previously won the PDP’s governorship primary.
Muhammad Sani Abacha has been affirmed as the PDP’s candidate for the 2027 Kano governorship election.
The development was announced on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, during an expanded meeting of the Kano State PDP executive committee.
According to the Kano PDP chairman, Dr Bello Gambo Bichi, the party’s previous candidate, Muhammad Bello Dalha, withdrew from the race following consultations with party stakeholders in Kano and Abuja.
Bichi explained that the withdrawal created the need for the party to conduct a replacement process in accordance with the relevant electoral provisions and the PDP’s rules.
Following the replacement process, Abacha was formally declared the winner by the chairman of the electoral panel, Dr Abba Abdullahi.
Reports from the meeting said representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were present to witness the exercise.
PDP Conducts Replacement Primary
The latest development differs from a conventional first-time party primary because it followed the withdrawal of a candidate who had already emerged from an earlier primary.
The PDP state chairman said the replacement process was necessary after Dalha stepped down.
Abba Abdullahi, who chaired the electoral panel, subsequently declared Muhammad Sani Abacha the winner of the replacement exercise and said the process complied with the party’s guidelines and applicable electoral regulations.
The PDP conducted a replacement process after the withdrawal of its earlier Kano governorship candidate.
The Kano PDP leadership said the changes were part of broader consultations aimed at resolving internal disagreements within the party.
According to the party, the reconciliation arrangement was not limited to the governorship ticket. Some National Assembly and State Assembly candidates were also replaced as part of the process.
Bichi said representatives of INEC witnessed the replacement exercise.
The party leadership described the development as part of efforts to bring the different groups within the Kano PDP together ahead of the 2027 general election.
Muhammad Sani Abacha’s Previous Kano Governorship Bid
Muhammad Sani Abacha is not new to the Kano governorship contest.
He previously contested the Kano State governorship election on the PDP platform in 2023. Contemporary election records and reports identified him as the PDP candidate in that election.
The selection of Yusuf Ado Kibiya as running mate also forms part of the party’s reported effort to accommodate different interests within its state structure.
However, the emergence of a party candidate does not by itself determine the outcome of the 2027 governorship election. The election will involve candidates from other political parties and will ultimately be decided by voters through the electoral process.
The new PDP ticket comes as political parties prepare for the 2027 Kano governorship election.
Muhammad Sani Abacha has emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidate for Kano State in the 2027 election after Muhammad Bello Dalha withdrew from the race.
The replacement process was accompanied by changes to the deputy governorship ticket and other party candidacies as the Kano PDP leadership pursued reconciliation among different groups within the party.
The development adds another significant change to the political preparations for the 2027 Kano governorship election, with parties expected to continue finalising their candidates and structures ahead of the polls.
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