…Governor Idris, Ex-AGF Malami Lead 14-Candidate Race as PDP Faces Unprecedented Setback
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kebbi State is facing a major political setback ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the party conspicuously absent from the final list of governorship candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
CDA News Nigeria gathered that the omission leaves the PDP without a listed governorship candidate for the January 16, 2027 election, marking what could be the first time in more than two decades that the opposition party has failed to feature in preparations for a major election in the state.
INEC’s final list contains 14 governorship candidates representing different political parties. Governor Nasir Idris is listed as the APC candidate, while former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, is listed as the ADC candidate. Other candidates include Basiru Musa of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Umar Faruk of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), alongside candidates from other parties.
The development comes amid persistent disagreements within the PDP, defections by prominent members, and conflicting positions among its stakeholders over the forthcoming governorship election. In August, a group of PDP stakeholders led by former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (retd.), declared support for Governor Idris’s second-term ambition, citing his performance in infrastructure, healthcare, education, and empowerment programmes. However, the state PDP chairman, Usman Bello Suru, rejected the endorsement, insisting it did not represent the party’s official stance.
The party’s 2023 governorship candidate, Maj.-Gen. Bello Sarkin Yaki (retd.), also declared support for Idris, further exposing divisions within the party’s ranks.
The development reshapes the electoral landscape in Kebbi, where the PDP’s absence effectively reduces the race to a contest between the APC and the ADC, with smaller parties playing peripheral roles. The ADC has moved quickly to fill the opposition space, inaugurating a campaign council of more than 600 members in August, positioning Malami as its primary challenger to Idris.
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