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Mustapha Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the first son of NDC vice-presidential candidate Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has been picked as the party’s deputy governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Kano State.
He will contest alongside the NDC governorship candidate, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, in the 2027 polls. The pairing unites two figures with deep roots in the Kwankwasiyya political machinery and signals a deliberate strategy to consolidate the movement’s grip on Kano’s political landscape ahead of what is shaping up to be a fiercely contested election.
The development was confirmed on Monday by the spokesperson of the Kwankwasiyya Movement in the state, Habibu Saleh Mohammed, in a short statement announcing the unveiling of the deputy governorship candidate.
“His Excellency Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo unveiled Hon. Mustapha Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as running mate for the 2027 Governorship Election,” Mohammed wrote.
The announcement followed a stakeholders’ meeting chaired by the senior Kwankwaso at his Miller Road residence.
Mustapha is no stranger to governance. Before his nomination, he served as Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development in Kano State under the administration of the incumbent Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, until his resignation following the governor’s defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress. At the time of his departure, Mustapha said he was stepping down with a “heavy heart” and thanked Governor Yusuf for the opportunity to serve the people of Kano.
His running mate, Gwarzo, carries similar baggage from the same political rupture. A longtime ally of Kwankwaso, Gwarzo was the immediate past Deputy Governor of Kano State under Governor Abba Yusuf. He resigned as deputy governor after Yusuf defected to the APC.
Mustapha’s emergence is expected to further strengthen the influence of the Kwankwasiyya movement within the NDC as preparations intensify for the 2027 elections.
Political observers believe his selection could play a significant role in shaping political alignments in Kano State ahead of the governorship contest.
