Governor Abba Yusuf is facing a mounting political crisis over the choice of a new deputy governor, as rival factions within the All Progressives Congress (APC) escalate tensions ahead of a crucial meeting with Kano lawmakers at Government House on Monday night.
The governor’s latest round of consultations follows a visit last week to former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje in Abuja—a move sources say was aimed at mending fences with the party’s old guard.
Party insiders reveal that both Ganduje and the presidency are pushing for Murtala Sule Garo, a former Commissioner for Local Government, as the preferred candidate. But the plan has hit strong opposition from influential blocs in Kano North and Kano South, led by Senators Barau Jibrin and Kawu Sumaila, who are demanding a three-man shortlist rather than a single nominee.
Among those opposed to Garo is former APC state chairman Abdullahi Abbas, who argues that nominating Garo would create a political imbalance—since Garo hails from the same local government area as Senator Barau. Critics also note that Kano North already has a minister, Mariya Bunkure.
Beyond zoning concerns, Garo’s candidacy faces legal headwinds. He, along with Ganduje and others, is facing corruption charges filed by the Yusuf administration at the Kano State High Court. Additionally, an appeal involving Garo and his brothers is pending before the Court of Appeal (Suit No. K/133C/2024), filed by the Kano State Government on March 12, 2026.
Senator Barau’s camp is said to be considering names like Salisu Sagir Takai and former Youth Commissioner Kabiru Lakwaya. Other sources, however, indicate the senator may also be backing a neutral candidate: former Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Ahmed Garba Bichi.
Meanwhile, the Kano South group is proposing a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly and current federal lawmaker for Rano/Bunkure/Kibiya constituency, Kabiru Rurum.
Sources say the governor had earlier struck a deal with Speaker Jibrin Falgore: if Falgore and allied lawmakers defected to the APC, he would be nominated deputy governor. That arrangement is now under pressure following intervention from the presidency.
Concerns have been raised over Falgore’s limited political experience. Born in 1984 in Falgore village, he was first appointed a local government councillor on the recommendation of a distant relative, Murtala Garo, before rising to Speaker.
Still, lawmakers are insisting on Falgore. Assembly insiders say at least 28 of the 40 members are backing him.
Amid the legislative push for Falgore, a higher directive has emerged. Reliable sources say President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to communicate the president’s preference for Garo to the governor. The presidency’s stance is believed to have been shaped partly by the recent exit of former APC governorship candidate Nasiru Gawuna from the party.
Ganduje’s recent meeting with Tinubu is said to have bolstered Garo’s chances, with the former governor reportedly arguing that Garo enjoys strong grassroots support and that the APC risks losing him to the ADC.
Despite the pressure, opposition within the party persists. Governor Yusuf is now making frantic efforts to reconcile the warring factions and reach a consensus candidate.
With mounting pressure from the presidency, party leaders, and zonal blocs, the governor finds himself at a crossroads—weighing options that could make or mar his chances of a second term in 2027.