Kebbi APC Tension Deepens as Governor Idris Replaces Deputy on 2027 Ticket

Political tensions are emerging within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kebbi State after Governor Nasir Idris replaced his deputy, Umar Abubakar-Tafida, with former Finance Commissioner Ibrahim Muhammad Augie as his running mate for the 2027 governorship election.

The decision has put Idris, Tafida and Augie at the centre of a fresh political controversy over the APC’s proposed 2027 ticket. The change was announced on Sunday at the Presidential Lodge in Birnin Kebbi by the party’s National Organising Secretary, Suleiman Muhammad Argungu, during a visit by stakeholders from the Argungu Emirate.

Argungu said the replacement followed legal advice on Tafida’s eligibility to remain on the ticket. He explained that the party had reviewed legal issues arising from the 2023 governorship election before settling on Augie as Idris’ new running mate. He also said Tafida understood and consented to the decision.

That account was challenged by Yahaya Danjadda, Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor on New Media. Danjadda said Tafida had not been consulted before the announcement and accused those suggesting otherwise of attempting to damage his principal’s reputation. The conflicting statements raised questions about whether the deputy governor had willingly agreed to leave the 2027 ticket.

Why Tafida Was Replaced

The dispute is linked to litigation that followed the 2023 governorship election, in which the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Aminu Bande, challenged the APC’s victory. One of the issues raised was an allegation that Tafida submitted a forged secondary school testimonial.

The Court of Appeal rejected the allegation in November 2023 while upholding Idris’ election. The Supreme Court later affirmed the governor’s victory on January 19, 2024. Despite the APC’s reference to legal advice arising from the earlier case, the party has not publicly disclosed the specific legal finding that would prevent Tafida from contesting the 2027 election.

Tafida subsequently addressed the controversy on Wednesday when supporters and political associates visited him in Argungu. He rejected claims that the Supreme Court judgment itself was the reason for his removal from the 2027 ticket, describing the attempt to link the two as an effort to damage his political standing.

“But to capitalise on the technicality presented to the Election Tribunal by the opposition party and later ruled upon by the Supreme Court, and now say that I should be replaced, was totally unbecoming and bogus,” Tafida said.

Despite his objection to the explanation surrounding his replacement, Tafida said he would accept the political decision if it was intended to strengthen the APC and improve its prospects in 2027. He also urged his supporters to remain calm, stressing that political positions are temporary.

The development affects Tafida’s position on the APC’s 2027 governorship ticket, not his current office as Deputy Governor of Kebbi State. For now, the competing explanations from the party and Tafida’s camp have left the circumstances behind the change at the centre of the political debate in the state.