RismadarVoice Reporters, June 15, 2026
The Nigeria Democratic Congress governorship candidate in Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo, has settled on Mustapha Kwankwaso as his running mate on the party’s 2027 election ticket, in a move that signals a deepening alliance between the NDC and the influential Kwankwasiyya political movement.
The selection was confirmed Monday by the candidate’s spokesperson, Ibrahim Shuaibu, who said the decision came after extensive consultations with key party figures across the state. Shuaibu described the incoming running mate as a dedicated party member whose addition to the ticket was designed to broaden the NDC’s electoral appeal ahead of next year’s governorship race.
“The governorship candidate of our great party, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has selected Mustapha Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as his running mate for the 2027 governorship election in Kano State,” Shuaibu stated, adding that the pairing reflects the party’s values of unity, inclusiveness, and broad-based representation.
Mustapha is the son of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the former Kano governor and national leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement — a formidable political bloc with deep roots across the state. His inclusion on the ticket is widely expected to draw greater Kwankwasiyya support toward the NDC as the political temperature in Kano steadily rises.
Gwarzo himself is no stranger to Kano’s corridors of power, having previously served as the state’s Deputy Governor. He secured the NDC’s governorship ticket through a stakeholder-driven process involving senior party officials.
