Abacha, who is the son of Nigeria’s former military ruler, late General Sani Abacha, was affirmed as the party's candidate on Wednesday following the voluntary withdrawal of the former candidate, Muhammad Bello Dalha.
The decision was taken at an expanded meeting of the State Executive Committee, SEC, of the party held in Kano and attended by stakeholders, party elders, and representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, the State Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Bello Gambo Bichi, explained that the party had to conduct a replacement primary in accordance with the provisions of the PDP Constitution and the Electoral Act.
According to him, the party had earlier held its gubernatorial primary where Muhammad Bello Dalha was declared winner. However, after extensive consultations among stakeholders both in Kano and at the party's national headquarters in Abuja, Dalha decided to step down from the race.
"Last time we did a primary election in which Muhammad Bello Dalha was declared winner. But following consultations among stakeholders in Kano and Abuja, the candidate decided to withdraw," Bichi said.
"The law says that as a result of withdrawal, a replacement primary must be held. That is what brought us here today. We have affirmed Muhammad Sani Abacha as the gubernatorial candidate of our great party in Kano State," he added.
Following the affirmation, a replacement primary was immediately conducted by the party's electoral panel chaired by Dr. Abba Abdullahi, who formally declared Abacha as the winner of the exercise.
Abdullahi stated that the entire process was carried out in strict compliance with the guidelines of the PDP and the extant electoral laws, noting that Abacha met all the necessary requirements for nomination.
He stressed that the process was transparent, credible, and witnessed by all relevant stakeholders, including INEC.
In a related development, the PDP in Kano also announced that it has resolved its long-standing internal factional crisis that has divided the party in the state for months.
As part of the reconciliation deal, the party ceded the deputy governorship slot to the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki faction. Consequently, the former factional Chairman of the party and ex-commissioner for Land and Agriculture, Alhaji Yusuf Ado Kibiya, was named as the deputy governorship candidate to Abacha.
"After wide consultation and reconciliation, we agreed to give the deputy governorship slot to the Turaki faction here in Kano. With this, there is no more faction in Kano PDP. We have reconciled," Bichi declared.
He further revealed that as part of efforts to strengthen unity, some National Assembly and State Assembly candidates were also replaced to accommodate interests from the Turaki group, adding that INEC officials were present to monitor the whole process.
The party chairman maintained that the PDP in Kano is now united, stronger, and fully prepared to face the ruling party in the forthcoming election.
It would be recalled that Muhammad Sani Abacha has been a consistent figure in Kano PDP politics, having been the party's candidate in consecutive election cycles.
In the 2023 governorship election, Abacha contested but finished a distant third in the race that was won by Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, while the All Progressives Congress, APC, came second.
