President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR’s political strategy aims to bring better development to Kano Central.
By Hon.Abdullahi Muhammad Bichi
October 28, 2024
Kano State is one of the seven states in the Northwest Zone, which is one of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. Kano is the largest and most populous state in this region. Like other Nigerian states, Kano has three senatorial districts: Kano North, Kano South, and Kano Central, each of which plays a vital role in the country’s politics due to its large voter turnout.
Kano North has a total of 1,167,000 registered voters, Kano South has 1,578,000, and Kano Central has 2,872,000 voters.
Kano State has been blessed with many prominent politicians and political appointments in the current administration of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR. In Kano North, the state is represented by the Deputy President of the Senate, Dr. Barau I. Jibrin, and the Honourable Minister of State for Housing, Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo. Additionally, Engr. Abubakar Kabir Abubakar, a powerful member of the National Assembly’s Green Chamber and Chairman of the Committee on Budget and Appropriation, also represents Kano North.
Kano South is represented by the Honourable Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, and Hon. Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila OFR, a respected politician with a good relationship with political figures from both NNPP and APC, despite not being a member of the ruling APC party.
Kano Central, which has the highest voter turnout and the largest number of local governments, currently lacks ministerial representation. Many federal appointments here are non-political, and politically, the area is dominated by the opposition party NNPP. This is largely because it is the base of Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement. However, while older generations support Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, many young people favor Kwankwaso. The APC gubernatorial candidate in the last election came from Kano Central, and 67% of the votes were concentrated in five key local governments: Dala, Nassarawa, Fagge, Kano Municipal, and partially Ungogo, all located in the state’s main metropolitan area.
Current Political Situation in Kano State
The ruling party in Kano is the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), which recently took power from the APC. The two major political leaders in the state are Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the NNPP and Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, National Chairman of the APC. Both are former governors, with Ganduje from Kano North and Kwankwaso from Kano Central. The parties are competing fiercely for votes in the Kano Central senatorial district, where the current senator secured the seat after a Supreme Court judgment following a dispute between former governors Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau and Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Recently, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR reshuffled his cabinet, resulting in ministerial appointments shifting between Kano’s senatorial districts. Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo, the former Minister of Housing and Urban Development from Kano North, was replaced by Abdullahi Yusuf Ata, a new ministerial nominee from Kano Central.
Congratulations to Hon. Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Yusuf Ata, a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly known for his integrity and strong rapport with young people, especially from Fagge Local Government, where he served diligently as Speaker.
Hon. Bichi is the Chairman kanawan dabo political awareness Forum writes from Kano