As the 2023 General elections are approaching, the Kano Governorship election is one of the most interesting, not only in Nigeria but West African Sub-region.

This was made possible due to the strategic Importance of Kano State as the hub of Northern politics for decades.

It’s not soothsaying that mostly those that become Governors in Kano state since its creation on May 27 1967, that is exactly 53 years ago do so on the basis of sheer luck but not hard work.

Nigerian Tracker is referring to civilian governors of the state from Late Muhammad Abubakar Rimi, who was sworn in on 1^st October 1979 to May 1983.

Rimi was warming up to become a senator when PRP leader Malam Aminu Kano of blessed memory anointed him as a result of the disqualification of Alhaji Salihi Iliyasu the initial PRP Gubernatorial candidate.

I have No Hand In Printing My Campaign Posters-EL-Rufai.

But When Rimi tried hard to become the governor for the second term his dream was shattered due to the change of party from Malam Aminu Kano’s PRP to the NPP  led by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe,Nigeria’s first ceremonial President.

When the aborted third Republic was launched by former military President General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, Alhaji Sule Lamido, the former Governor of Jigawa State was preparing to become Governor Of Kano State when suddenly Jigawa State was created in 1991 and he has to shift ground because his native town of Birnin Kudu fell in Jigawa State.

Another politician was former Commissioner for Works and Housing and one-time Managing Director of WRECA and late Deputy Governor of Kano state Engineer Magaji Abdullahi, contested for several times in Secondary and Primary elections, Engineer Magaji Abdullahi could not make it, but ended up becoming a Deputy Governor.

The Trio Of Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, and Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje became governors of the state not because of their do or die ambition but for the circumstances of their time.

When Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso clinched the PDP Ticket in 1999, the talk of the town was Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje who has more connection and networks then than Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, but out of sheer luck, Kwankwaso defeated Ganduje at the primaries, Ganduje was appeased and compensated with the post of Deputy Governor.

On the part of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, he was demoted from the position of a permanent secretary in the cabinet office to classroom, that prompted Malam to retire in 2001 from the state civil and joined politics, Malam later contested in 2003 under ANPP, then the cult-like following of President Muhammadu Buhari as ANPP Presidential candidate influenced massive votes cast for Malam Ibrahim Shekarau.

When in 2007 former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso decided to resign from the Federal cabinet as Minister of Defence to contest for the second time, he was not able to do so due to one reason or the other as he narrated it.

In 2011 after Kwankwaso defeated Malam Ibrahim Shekarau’s chosen successor, by the time he was going after completing his second tenure, inside sources told Nigerian Tracker that Kwankwaso was not poised to the idea of having Ganduje as his successor, but destiny beckoned on Governor Ganduje.

Some close sources confided in Nigerian Tracker that the present Governor of Yobe state Alhaji Mai Mala Buni, when he was APC National secretary, played a crucial role in ensuring Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso gave the APC Gubernatorial form to  Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to fill which set the pace for his emergence as Governor of Kano state on May 29, 2015.

All they say the rest is now history.

Perceived 2023 Governorship contestants

Deputy Governor Alhaji Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna.

Most Deputy Governors have the ambition to succeed their bosses in Nigeria, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, the present Deputy Governor Of Kano state is said to be nursing the ambition of stepping into the shoes of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as the former’s tenure expires on May 29, 2023, but pundits say Gawuna may not have an easy sail as the clock may not be swinging on his side due to the political calculation of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Malam Salihu Sageer Takai

Malam Salihu Sageer Takai needs no introduction in the political space of Kano state, when the country returns to Democracy in 1999, Malam Takai was elected as Chairman of his native local government, Takai, by 2003 the new ANPP Government of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau during its first tenure appointed Takai as the state’s commissioner for water resources, Malam Takai was said to be an honest and straight forward politician, he contested in 2011, 2015 and 2019 governorship election under ANPP, PDP and PRP and could not make it.

Some say his return to APC may be another ploy to make the contest very hot in the APC during the 2023 primaries.

Senator Barau I Jibrin

The chairman Senate committee on appropriation, Senator Barau Jibrin representing Kano North at the National Assembly, is one of those politicians in Kano determining to succeed Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Senator Barau Jibrin was the pioneer member House of Representatives for Tarauni Federal constituency in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003, The Buhari Tsunami swept him and Ghali Naabba the former speaker from the House.

He came back to reckoning in 2015 when APC was formed, first as commissioner of science and Technology under the administration of Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and later resigned and contested for the senatorial ticket of the APC, Senator Barau Jibrin is in the senate since 2015.

Senator Barau Jibrin came from the same senatorial District as the incumbent Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, there is a habit among Nigerian politicians who want remain relevant in the struggle for power, most two-term Nigerian Governors who are about to complete their second tenure as governors, mostly swap their seats with senators from their districts.

We will make Kano politics free from thuggery -Kano Youth Political Forum

As a result of this many people are of the opinion that Governor Ganduje may back Senator Barau Jibrin’s candidature in anticipation of contesting the senate for Kano North so that he can join the club of former Nigerian Governor who turn the senate into their political refugee camp.

Abba Kabir Yusuf.

Another Politician that may never shelve his ambition was Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf who won the first round of the Kano 2019 Gubernatorial election but later lost to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje at the inconclusive arrangement by the Independent National Electoral Commission. The goodwill currently being enjoyed by Abba Kabir Yusuf from the Kwankwasiyya camp may be another advantage for his 2023 ambition since he has contested for the seat and may deploy his experience if given another chance by the Kwankwasiyya camp of the people’s Democratic Party.

Dr Abdullahi Baffa Bichi.

Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, the sacked Executive secretary of the Tertiary Education fund has been nursing the ambition of becoming the governor of Kano state, recently he has been sighted with the Head of Kwankwasiyya movement in Nigeria, Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso at many functions, but it may be a hard nut to crack by Dr. Baffa Bichi with Abba Kabir Yusuf on the frontline of contestants under the Kwankwasiyya camp of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Engineer Muazu Magaji Dawakin Tofa

Engineer Muazu Magaji Dawakin Tofa popularly known as Dansarauniya did not hide his ambition of becoming the governor of Kano state, Engineer Muazu Magaji was relieved of his appointment as commissioner of works by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje on the day former Chief of Staff to the president Alhaji Abba Kyari died.

Recently Dansarauniya launched his campaign by calling it WIN-WIN, calling on Youth to join him in taking Kano to greater heights.

Dansarauniya has been nursing the ambition of becoming Governor of Kano State since 2015 when Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso finished his tenure.