The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State has accused former governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, of trying to maintain political control over the state through his son, Mustapha Kwankwaso, following his emergence as the deputy governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election.
The accusation came after the NDC unveiled Mustapha as the running mate to its governorship candidate, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, in what many political observers see as a major move ahead of the next general election.
Mustapha Kwankwaso, who previously served as Commissioner for Youth and Sports under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, recently left the state cabinet alongside three other commissioners after the governor’s political alliance shifted to the APC.
Reacting to the development, Kano APC Chairman, Umar Haruna Doguwa, said the party was not surprised by the choice of Mustapha as deputy governorship candidate.
According to him, the nomination fits into what he described as Kwankwaso’s long-standing desire to keep a firm grip on Kano politics.
Doguwa claimed that the former governor had, in the past, explored different political options to remain influential in the state’s leadership and alleged that presenting his son for such a strategic position was part of that ambition.
According to him, “APC is not surprised with the nomination of Kwankwaso’s son Mustapha as running mate to Aminu Abdussalam in their NDC party. In fact, APC expects more than this from Kwankwaso. We know and most of us who are very close to him know that Kwankwaso tried all possible means to secure a third term in office.”
The APC chairman further alleged that the latest political arrangement was another attempt to extend the former governor’s influence in Kano.
“Imposing his biological son to run as deputy governor is an opportunity to hatch the plan. Given more opportunities, Kwankwaso will do more than that,” Doguwa said.
Despite the criticism, the APC maintained that it was not threatened by the NDC ticket. Doguwa insisted that the ruling party remained confident of retaining its dominance in the state and was fully prepared for the 2027 governorship contest.
Meanwhile, the Kwankwasiyya Movement has continued to insist that it will reclaim power in Kano after Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s defection to the APC, a move that Senator Kwankwaso and his loyalists have repeatedly described as a betrayal of the political structure that brought the governor to office.
