The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State accuses former governor Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of trying to govern the state by proxy following the nomination of his son, Mustapha Kwankwaso, as the deputy governorship candidate of the New Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 elections. The NDC has unveiled Mustapha as the running mate to its governorship candidate, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo. Mustapha previously served as commissioner for youth and sports under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, but he resigned alongside three other commissioners after Yusuf defected to the APC.
In response, the Kano APC chairman, Umar Haruna Doguwa, says the party is not surprised by Mustapha’s emergence and frames it as part of Kwankwaso’s alleged long-term ambition to maintain influence in Kano. Doguwa also references claims that Kwankwaso sought legal means to extend his time in office, and he characterizes the deputy nomination as another step toward that objective. While the APC says it remains confident ahead of the 2027 elections, the Kwankwasiyya Movement has vowed to regain power in Kano and criticizes Yusuf’s defection, which Kwankwaso described as a betrayal.
