On May 29, 2023, a new governor will be sworn in in Kaduna State. As a result, the battle for Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s successor has commenced. The state’s next gubernatorial election, scheduled for 2023, will undoubtedly be between the ruling APC and the opposition PDP. The top contenders for the Kaduna State Government House include:
1. Uba Sani
Since 1999, Sani, who is 50 years old, has been a staunch supporter of El-Rufai. Sani. On the other hand, was President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Special Adviser on Public Affairs, while El-Rufai was the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP). In 2013, he joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) alongside El-Rufai and other major politicians in the state. In June 2015, Governor Nasir El-Rufai appointed him Special Assistant on Intergovernmental Affairs, a role he held until 2018.
2. Isa Ashiru
In 2023, Ashiru is a leading contender for the PDP Governorship ticket. In 1999, the former civil servant was elected to the Kaduna State House of Assembly to represent the Kudana State Constituency, a position he maintained until 2007. Isa Ashiru wants to run for the PDP ticket once more.
3. Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari
The Sabon Gari native earned a reputation for himself in the banking profession before entering politics. He began his political career as Chairman of the Sabon Gari Local Government Area before moving on to the House of Representatives. From 2015 until 2018, Abdu Kwari was a member of the Kaduna State Executive Council, serving as the Commissioner for Finance. The 58-year-old politician is now a Senator in the National Assembly for the All Progressives Congress (APC), representing the Kaduna North Senatorial District in the National Assembly.
4. Ramalan Yero
Yero began his career as an accountant before being recruited into politics by his political godfather, Namadi Sambo, a former Governor of Kaduna State and former Vice-President of Nigeria, in 2007. The 52-year-old Zaria native first entered politics in 2007 as Kaduna State Commissioner for Finance, a job he held until 2010. Yero was appointed Governor of Kaduna State after his principal, then-Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, died. In 2015, Yero campaigned for re-election on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket but was defeated by Nasir El-Rufai of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Who is your preferred choice to succeed Governor Nasir El-Rufai in 2023?
