The Governor Kano Never Had

With unfolding events in the opposition ADC, the dissolution of its state executive and the likelihood of a familiar face emerging as its Kano governorship candidate, 2027 promises to be just as volatile, competitive and unpredictable as past elections in the state.

Naja’atu Mohammed, a prominent figure in the ADC, is telling anyone who cares to listen that the party has no intention of giving its governorship ticket to Ibrahim Khalil because of his ties to President Bola Tinubu.

That leaves the party with his main competitor, Ibrahim Al Amin, more recognised as Ibrahim Little. Should the ADC go ahead and hand the party’s ticket to Little, it would represent a major break from the past.

Little has never gone beyond the primary stage in an election, meaning he has never won an election. He was defeated by Ibrahim Shekarau in 2003 for the APP ticket and by Rabiu Kwankwaso in 2007 for the PDP ticket and again lost the party ticket in 2023.

One reason is that he has never been able to command the loyalty of delegates and the party stalwarts.

But that is not the whole story of Ibrahim Little’s politics, energy and mobilising skills, especially with the youths. By many accounts and interactions, he is probably one of the most gifted politicians in Nigeria who never actually won an election.

Maybe for the first time in his political career, Little will get the chance to test his popularity outside of the party machinery that has consistently denied him the ticket to run for governor.

Opposition parties in the country are splintered. Depending on who is asked, the blame for that is on Atiku Abubakar, who insists on running for president despite knowing it is the turn of the south.

Others blame Peter Obi and Kwankwaso for breaking opposition unity and defecting to the NDC. A share of the blame has also been placed on President Tinubu for instigating the crisis and for imposing legal hurdles on the path of opposition parties.

But regardless of chaos, the politics in Kano never fails to disappoint in its intensity and competitiveness. The way Governor Abba Yusuf and Rabiu Kwankwaso parted ways and their subsequent defection to different parties ignited a fire in the contest for the governorship seat in 2027.

But then Kwankwaso’s choices in naming the NDC governorship candidate and his running mate dampened enthusiasm.

The possible emergence of Little as ADC flagbearer now adds a new dynamic to the 2027 race in the state. It’s now a three-horse race pitting Kabir’s incumbency against Kwankwaso’s organisational skills and Little’s grassroots mobilisation.