Kebbi 2027: Tension Rises as Idris Replaces Deputy

Political tension is growing within the Kebbi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, following Governor Nasir Idris’ decision to replace his deputy, Umar Abubakar-Tafida, with former Commissioner for Finance, Ibrahim Muhammad Augie, as his running mate for the 2027 governorship election.

The decision has brought the governor, his deputy and Augie into the centre of a fresh political dispute as the party prepares for the next governorship contest.

Augie’s emergence was announced on Sunday at the Presidential Lodge in Birnin Kebbi by the APC National Organising Secretary, Suleiman Muhammad Argungu, during a meeting with political stakeholders from the Argungu Emirate.

Argungu explained that the change followed legal advice received by the party over issues connected to Tafida’s eligibility to remain on the 2027 governorship ticket. He said the party considered matters arising from the 2023 election before deciding to nominate Augie as Idris’ new running mate.

The APC official also said Tafida understood and accepted the decision, suggesting that the change had been reached without a dispute between the governor and his deputy.

That position, however, was later challenged by an aide to the deputy governor, Yahaya Danjadda, who said Tafida was not consulted before the announcement was made.

Danjadda, who serves as Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor on New Media, rejected the claim that his principal had been involved in the decision. He described the suggestion that Tafida had agreed to step aside as an attempt to damage the deputy governor’s reputation.

The disagreement over whether Tafida was consulted has added uncertainty to the circumstances surrounding his removal from the APC’s 2027 ticket.

The controversy is linked partly to the legal battle that followed the 2023 governorship election. The Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Aminu Bande, had challenged the APC victory in court, with one of the issues involving an allegation that Tafida submitted a forged secondary school testimonial.

The Court of Appeal dismissed the allegation in November 2023 while upholding Idris’ election. The matter was later taken to the Supreme Court, which also affirmed the governor’s victory on January 19, 2024.

Although the APC has pointed to legal advice concerning the old case as the reason for changing the running mate, the party has not publicly explained the specific legal issue that would prevent Tafida from contesting alongside Idris in 2027.

Tafida has now rejected the suggestion that the Supreme Court judgment on the 2023 election was the direct reason for his replacement.

The deputy governor made his position known on Wednesday in Argungu when supporters and political associates visited him following the APC’s announcement.

Tafida described the use of issues raised during the previous election case as the basis for removing him from the 2027 ticket as unfair. He argued that the matter had already gone through the courts and that the Supreme Court had ruled on the election.

He also accused those linking his replacement to the court case of trying to create a damaging impression about his political career. Despite his disagreement with the explanation given for the decision, Tafida said he accepted the political reality and did not oppose any move that would strengthen the APC’s chances in the 2027 election.

The deputy governor called on his supporters to remain calm and avoid actions that could worsen the situation, noting that political positions could change over time.

Tafida’s reaction has therefore created a new layer to the controversy. While he has accepted the decision to remove him from the APC’s 2027 governorship ticket, he has rejected the explanation that the Supreme Court’s handling of the 2023 election dispute provided the reason for the change.

His removal from the ticket does not mean he has lost his current position as Deputy Governor of Kebbi State. The development is limited to the APC’s arrangement for the 2027 governorship election, where Augie will now serve as Governor Idris’ proposed running mate.