ADC Moves to Lure Gawuna from Kwankwasiyya, Offers Kano Governorship Ticket

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has intensified efforts to persuade former Kano State Deputy Governor and 2023 gubernatorial candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, to contest the 2027 governorship election on its platform.

Sources familiar with the development state that influential figures within the ADC have been holding consultations with Gawuna’s top political associates to convince him to accept the party’s governorship ticket.

To sweeten the deal, the ADC has reportedly offered political concessions. These include automatic nominations for State House of Assembly and House of Representatives seats for several of Gawuna’s loyalists, alongside assurances of adequate financial backing for his campaign.

Former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal and former Ambassador Faruk Yabo are reportedly among the prominent political figures spearheading the efforts to bring Gawuna into the ADC.

Although Gawuna has previously maintained his loyalty to the Kwankwasiyya movement, insiders note that the sustained pressure and strategic offers from the ADC have prompted fresh considerations within his political camp.

The national leadership of the ADC has notably delayed announcing the winner of its Kano governorship primary—which was contested by Ibrahim Khalil and Ibrahim Little. Party sources indicate the delay is a deliberate strategy to allow the party to finalize negotiations with Gawuna, whose candidacy is viewed as highly competitive.

Gawuna was previously tipped as a potential governorship candidate under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). However, the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement and the NDC, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, ultimately settled on his longtime ally and immediate past deputy governor, Aminu Abdussalam, as the party’s preferred standard-bearer.