Kaduna’s 2027 Governorship Race Begins With Six Candidates Amid Security Concerns

By Globalvoice Political Desk

Six candidates are positioning themselves for Kaduna State’s February 2027 governorship election, but legal disputes within two opposition camps and growing insecurity are already shaping the contest.

Incumbent Governor Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) enters the race with the advantage of incumbency and strong institutional backing. His main challenger, Isa Ashiru Kudan of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), brings a substantial opposition vote base and an alliance that includes former governor Nasir El-Rufai.

But Ashiru's candidacy faces an unresolved internal dispute, while another opposition contender, Danjuma La’ah, is also facing questions over the process through which he emerged as the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

Beyond the political manoeuvring, insecurity remains the central concern for many communities, particularly in Southern Kaduna and rural parts of the state that have experienced years of killings, kidnappings and displacement.

With campaigns scheduled to begin on September 9, the key question is whether the election will be fought primarily over political alliances and religious representation—or over the candidates' ability to restore security.

Uba Sani - All Progressives Congress

Governor Uba Sani secured the APC governorship ticket unopposed on May 21, 2026, receiving 459,393 affirmation votes across Kaduna's 23 local government areas.

Sani won the 2023 election as the preferred successor of former governor Nasir El-Rufai. The relationship between the two politicians has since deteriorated, with El-Rufai leaving the APC for the African Democratic Congress.

Several prominent political figures, including former governors and senators Ramalan Yero, Shehu Sani and Suleiman Hunkuyi, as well as 12 opposition lawmakers, have subsequently aligned with Sani.

The governor's principal advantage is incumbency and his relationship with the federal administration.

His greatest vulnerability, however, remains insecurity.

Attacks and kidnappings continue to affect rural communities, including parts of Birnin Gwari and other local government areas. The administration has highlighted negotiated releases, security operations and the restoration of access to farmland, but opposition parties continue to point to insecurity as evidence that the government has failed to adequately protect residents.

For Sani, convincing voters that his administration has made Kaduna safer could be critical to securing a second term.

Isa Ashiru Kudan - African Democratic Congress

Isa Ashiru Kudan enters the contest with perhaps the strongest opposition electoral record.

A former member of the House of Representatives for Makarfi/Kudan, Ashiru contested the governorship election for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in both 2019 and 2023.

He lost to Nasir El-Rufai in 2019 and finished second to Sani in 2023 with 719,196 votes, giving him the largest established opposition vote base among the current contenders.

His alliance with El-Rufai and the ADC has the potential to expand that base.

In August, Ashiru appointed former finance commissioner John Markus Ayuba as his campaign director-general, signalling preparations for a major statewide campaign.

However, the candidate's biggest challenge may not come from the APC.

His ADC nomination is being challenged by fellow aspirant Shu'aibu Miqati.

Ashiru reportedly secured 86,113 votes at the ADC primary, while Jafaru Sani received 29,580 and Miqati polled 10,819.

Miqati subsequently challenged the result. The party's appeal process produced conflicting positions, with appeal committee chairman Muhammed Mustapha Fagge declaring Miqati the winner while the committee secretary, Mikailu Barau, affirmed Ashiru's candidacy.

Miqati has threatened legal action.

The national leadership of the ADC has yet to provide a definitive public resolution of the competing claims.

Until the dispute is resolved, Ashiru's campaign carries a degree of legal uncertainty that could complicate the opposition's effort to consolidate around him.

Shehu Usman Bawa - Peoples Democratic Party

Former Kaduna North lawmaker Shehu Usman Bawa emerged as the PDP governorship candidate after the party's May 25 primary.

He defeated Haruna Kajuru by 124,170 votes to 22,010.

Bawa has campaigned on a security agenda that includes community policing and greater support for local vigilante structures.

His nomination appears comparatively stable, giving him an organisational advantage over candidates whose tickets are being challenged.

However, the PDP faces a broader political problem: several influential politicians have moved toward the ADC, potentially weakening the party's traditional structure and electoral reach.

Bawa's challenge will therefore be to rebuild the PDP's relevance across the state's three senatorial zones while presenting himself as a credible alternative to both the APC and ADC.

Danjuma La’ah - Nigeria Democratic Congress

Two-term Kaduna South senator Danjuma La’ah is campaigning on a powerful regional argument.

La’ah previously opposed El-Rufai during his time in the Senate, later joined the APC under Sani, left the party after losing its senatorial primary and has now emerged as a candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

His central political message is based on rotation and representation.

Supporters argue that Northern Kaduna has dominated the governorship for much of the state's political history and that Southern Kaduna should have an opportunity to produce the next governor.

But La’ah's candidacy is also surrounded by a nomination dispute.

The NDC state executive and local government chairmen reportedly adopted him as their candidate in July.

However, the party's Deputy National Chairman for the North, Sidi Abdul Bomi, has disputed the validity of documents circulating as La’ah's nomination papers, describing one such document as fake.

Another aspirant, Mohammed Sani Abbas, has claimed that he was screened and won a primary.

La’ah's camp maintains that no primary was required because he was adopted by party stakeholders.

The dispute has led to calls for a fresh substitution primary in accordance with provisions of the Electoral Act.

If unresolved, the controversy could threaten La’ah's participation or create another opposition vote-splitting scenario.

Aminu Abdulfatah - People's Redemption Party

Former Speaker Aminu Abdulfatah is running as the consensus candidate of the People's Redemption Party (PRP).

The party carries the historical legacy of the Aminu Kano political tradition but has limited statewide electoral machinery compared with the APC, PDP and the emerging ADC coalition.

Abdulfatah therefore faces the challenge of converting the party's ideological heritage into a competitive statewide campaign.

His chances could depend heavily on whether voters dissatisfied with the major parties are willing to back a smaller political platform.

Muhammed Rilwanu Lawal - Labour Party

Muhammed Rilwanu Lawal is the Labour Party's consensus candidate.

The party's strongest recent performance in Kaduna came during the 2023 presidential election, when Peter Obi reportedly received 294,494 votes in the state.

However, translating presidential support into a successful governorship campaign presents a different challenge.

Labour will need to build a statewide political structure capable of converting enthusiasm around its national movement into votes across Kaduna's three senatorial districts.

Where the Election Could Be Decided

Kaduna North remains an important APC stronghold, although Ashiru has demonstrated the ability to attract substantial support in parts of the zone.

Kaduna Central represents Governor Sani's strongest political base.

Kaduna South, however, could become the decisive battleground.

The area is politically divided between La’ah's regional-rotation argument and the broader opposition coalition forming around Ashiru.

If La’ah succeeds in consolidating Southern Kaduna votes, he could significantly reduce the pool of votes Ashiru needs to defeat the APC.

If Ashiru succeeds in bringing La’ah's supporters into a broader opposition coalition, the contest could become considerably tighter.

At present, no publicly available statewide opinion poll establishes a clear favourite.

The financial resources available to the candidates are also largely unknown.

What is clear is that Sani enters the race with the strongest institutional position, while Ashiru possesses the largest proven opposition vote base.

La’ah, meanwhile, could influence the outcome even if he does not win.

Religious Balance Is Not the Same as Security

Religious representation has traditionally played an important role in Kaduna politics, but the choice of running mates has not resolved the state's deeper security concerns.

Sani selected Jerry Adams, chairman of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service and a Christian from Southern Kaduna, as his running mate. The choice ended the APC's Muslim-Muslim ticket arrangement from the previous election cycle.

Ashiru also selected a Christian from Southern Kaduna, former assembly member Irmiya Kantitok, as his running mate.

The appointments were intended to broaden the tickets' regional and religious appeal.

However, they have not eliminated opposition within Southern Kaduna.

The Southern Kaduna Political Forum reportedly rejected Kantitok's selection, arguing that the choice was made without adequate consultation with local communities.

The Muslim Youth Foundation of Southern Kaduna has also cautioned political parties against assuming that religious or regional identity automatically guarantees electoral support.

For communities that have endured years of attacks, the central concern is less about who occupies the deputy governor's position and more about whether their villages, farms, schools and places of worship can be made safe.

Residents in areas including Kajuru, Zangon Kataf and Kaura continue to demand stronger protection against attacks attributed to armed groups.

Yet, so far, none of the leading candidates has publicly presented a detailed, independently costed statewide security strategy capable of addressing the full range of threats confronting Kaduna.

The Security Question

The 2027 election will therefore be fought against a backdrop of unresolved insecurity.

For rural communities, security is directly connected to farming, education, commerce and the ability of displaced families to return home.

Political campaigns may focus on party structures, religious balance and alliances, but voters in affected communities are likely to judge candidates by a more basic question:

Who can make Kaduna safe enough for its people to live, work and return home without fear?

The campaigns are scheduled to begin on September 9.

With five months remaining before the election, Kaduna's six contenders have time to build their coalitions, settle internal disputes and present their programmes.

But unless security becomes more than a campaign slogan, the state's most vulnerable communities may remain unconvinced that the political contest offers a solution to the crisis that has defined their lives for years.