Former Kano State Governor and Senator Ibrahim Shekarau has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, a move that is already triggering fresh political realignments in Kano ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Shekarau, who represented Kano Central Senatorial District, has in recent years been at the centre of high-profile party switches that reshaped the state’s political map. In May 2022, he left the All Progressives Congress for the New Nigeria Peoples Party after months of leadership tussle with then Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. In August 2022, he decamped from the NNPP to the Peoples Democratic Party, citing unresolved internal crises.
His exit from the PDP now adds another layer to Kano’s shifting alliances, as the state undergoes what analysts describe as a significant political realignment. The development comes amid broader tensions within the NNPP and PDP, with the Kano House of Assembly recently backing Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s planned move away from the NNPP over “unresolved leadership disputes within the party and ongoing legal battles”. House Majority Leader Lawan Hussaini warned that “the NNPP is currently plagued by factional leadership disputes and multiple litigations, creating uncertainty over the validity of its structure and nominations ahead of future elections”.
Shekarau’s latest defection has reopened debate over loyalty and ideology in Kano politics. Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, cautioned his followers against being lured by what he termed “short-term gains,” noting that many who choose to defect often regret their decisions later on. “The word ‘betrayer’ follows a person; him, his family, and even his lineage,” Kwankwaso stressed.
The former governor’s political journey has long intersected with Kano’s power blocs. Shekarau, a founding member of the APC, had to leave the party in 2014 for the PDP when the APC’s leadership in Kano was handed over to Kwankwaso, who was then the governor and had also crossed carpeted. Four years later, the swap of party between the two would again take place when Kwankwaso, who had gone back to the PDP, was again given the leadership of the party, a decision that pushed Shekarau out and back to APC. Analysts of Kano politics have long concluded that it was practically impossible for both of them to remain in the same party.
Shekarau’s exit from the PDP follows a protracted legal and electoral battle over his senatorial seat. After he left the NNPP for the PDP in 2022, the party moved to replace him with Rufai Hanga, a former senator. However, when the final list of senatorial candidates was published by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the former Kano governor was listed as the NNPP candidate. The Supreme Court later affirmed the nomination of Rufai Hanga as the Kano Central senatorial district candidate of the NNPP and removed Shekarau, who was earlier nominated by NNPP and declared winner of the election.
The reshuffle is unfolding as prominent voices call for new leadership in the state. Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, who chairs the Kano Council of Ulama, said Kano needs fresh, unifying leadership to move forward, stating that “neither of them is worthy of being followed” when asked about Kwankwaso and Ganduje. “There are only two individuals who are the problem of Kano today, and they are Kwankwaso and Ganduje,” he said.
As defections and counter-alignments continue, the Kwankwasiyya movement has praised officials who resigned from local government councils, highlighting their “deep commitment to justice and fairness”. Dr. Mohammed emphasized that Kwankwasiyya’s foundation lies not in offices or privileges, but in “sacrifice, service, and the pursuit of good governance and social justice”.
With Shekarau now out of the PDP, political watchers say Kano’s 2027 calculations have shifted again, with negotiations expected to intensify across the APC, NNPP, PDP, and smaller platforms as camps reposition for influence in the state.
