The Deputy President of the Senate, Barau I. Jibrin, has been officially affirmed as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Kano North Senatorial District, positioning himself for the 2027 general elections. This development follows a party affirmation exercise conducted at the APC headquarters in Bichi Local Government Area, which drew thousands of enthusiastic party supporters from all 13 local government areas within the senatorial district.
Uncontested Emergence After Withdrawal
Senator Barau's path to candidacy became clear after former Minister of State for Housing, Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo, withdrew from the race. This decision came after the intervention of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, paving the way for a smooth affirmation process. Hon. Shehu Isa Direba, Chairman of the APC Electoral Committee for the Kano North Senatorial Primary Election, called on party members to affirm Barau as the party's choice. The affirmation received overwhelming approval, underscoring Barau's widespread acceptance across the district.
Endorsement and Official Confirmation
Similarly, Hon. Musa Yahaya, Chairman of the APC National Assembly Primary Elections Committee for Kano State, sought the endorsement of party members. They unanimously affirmed Senator Barau as the APC candidate for the National Assembly election scheduled for January 16. Following the exercise, Abdulrahman Haruna, leader of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitoring team, expressed satisfaction with the peaceful and orderly conduct of the process.
Governor Yusuf's Support and Confidence
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, represented by Deputy Governor Murtala Sule Garo, commended the peaceful nature of the exercise. He expressed confidence that the people of Kano North would overwhelmingly vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Yusuf, Senator Barau, and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections. “We are happy. Kano North is for APC at all times. We are one family in APC. Insha Allah, before noon on election day, Senator Barau will secure his seat, while President Tinubu and all our candidates will emerge victorious,” he said, while praying for peaceful elections in 2027.
Senator Barau's Acceptance and Gratitude
In his response, Senator Barau thanked party members for the confidence placed in him and assured them of continued effective representation. “Let me begin by thanking Almighty Allah for making my nomination possible. I also wish to appreciate the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his leadership of the APC and the nation at large. He is doing extremely well, and we cannot thank him enough,” he stated.
Barau also praised Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for his efforts to reposition Kano State. “I also thank our hardworking Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, for the remarkable work he is doing to reposition Kano State. He is working tirelessly to actualise his vision for the state. I hope that together with his deputy, Murtala Sule Garo, he will bring tremendous development to our state,” he added.
Call for Unity and Support for APC
In his acceptance speech, Senator Barau urged the people of Kano State to vote for all APC candidates in the 2027 general elections and specifically appealed for support for President Tinubu's re-election bid. “Please, let us not waver in our support for Mr President. President Tinubu means well for Northern Nigeria and is doing extremely well for us. We should not be distracted by unnecessary criticisms. Let us come out en masse and vote for the APC at all levels. By doing so, we will continue to enjoy the benefits and developmental projects coming from the federal, state, and local governments,” he concluded.
