📌 Quick answer: 17 candidates are on INEC’s final list for the Kano State governorship election on Saturday, 6 February 2027. They include Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who won in 2023 on the NNPP platform and is now the APC candidate, with his deputy Murtala Sule Garo as running mate; Mohammed Sani Abacha (PDP); and Ibrahim Ali Amin (ADC). Neither the NNPP nor the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) appears on the list. Parties that believe their candidates were wrongly left out have until 24 October 2026 to notify INEC.
Kano has more registered voters than almost any other state and more local government areas, 44, than any state in Nigeria. Its governorship race is always one of the most closely followed in the country, and 2027 brings a new twist: the sitting governor is seeking re-election on a different platform from the one that brought him to office.
Below is every ticket as INEC published it in its Final List of Candidates for the Kano State governorship election, signed by the commission’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony. Names are written in the order INEC used (in most cases surname first) so you can match them to the ballot; ages are as declared to INEC.
Full List: All 17 Kano Governorship Candidates and Running Mates
| Party | Governorship candidate (age) | Running mate (age) |
|---|---|---|
| A – Accord | Gashash Mukhtar (56) | Mohammed Safiyanu (54) |
| AA – Action Alliance | Haruna Abdullahi (52) | Ismail Abdulmajin Nuhu (38) |
| AAC – African Action Congress | Sharif Abba (52) | Idris Uzairu (46) |
| ADC – African Democratic Congress | Ibrahim Ali Amin (62) | Shehu Abdulkadir Bari (35) |
| ADP – Action Democratic Party | Muhammad Abdullahi (48) | Mainika Rabiu (62) |
| APC – All Progressives Congress | Yusuf Abba Kabir (63) | Garo Murtala Sule (48) |
| APGA – All Progressives Grand Alliance | Tijjani Sukairaju Tijjani (47) | Name not legible on INEC’s PDF (53) |
| APM – Allied Peoples Movement | Muhammad Bashir Galadanchi (47) | Umar Abdullahi (57) |
| APP – Action Peoples Party | Tukur Aliyu Malam (54) | Muhammad Ibrahim (46) |
| BP – Boot Party | Ahmad Furera (45) | Muhammad Usman (40) |
| DLA – Democratic Labour Alliance | Bari Mustapha Bello (56) | Musa Abubakar Isyaku (56) |
| LP – Labour Party | Santuraki Hamisu (52) | Ibrahim Abbas (60) |
| NDP – National Democratic Party | Abdullahi Mustapha (41) | Samira Bala Usman (40) |
| PDP – Peoples Democratic Party | Abacha Muhammed Sani (59) | Kibiya Yusuf Ado (68) |
| PRP – Peoples Redemption Party | Koguna Nasiru Hassan (56) | Kabir Abdulhamid Abdulhamid (45) |
| SDP – Social Democratic Party | Hussaini Bello Ado (52) | Garba Lurwan Gaya (45) |
| ZLP – Zenith Labour Party | Nuhu Isa (60) | Rabi’u Ibrahim (54) |
Who Is Missing, and Could the List Change?
Two parties with a strong base in Kano are absent: the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), on whose platform Governor Yusuf won in 2023, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), whose presidential ticket includes former Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as running mate. The NDC had announced Abdussalam Aminu Gwarzo as its Kano governorship candidate.
INEC has explained why candidates were left off governorship lists across the country. The Supreme Court, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, upheld sections 77(5) to 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026, which require parties to submit membership registers for their primaries to be valid. Parties that did not comply were treated as ineligible to sponsor governorship candidates. Parties that believe their candidates were omitted in error have until 24 October 2026 to notify the Commission, so the Kano list could still change. We will update this page if it does.
The Main Tickets
Parties are covered in alphabetical order. The details come from INEC’s list and the public record; NaijaSabi does not rank or endorse candidates.
ADC: Ibrahim Ali Amin and Shehu Abdulkadir Bari
Ibrahim Ali Amin, 62, is the African Democratic Congress candidate. His INEC form lists a GCE and BSc and MBA degrees. His running mate, Shehu Abdulkadir Bari, is 35, the youngest running mate on the Kano list.
APC: Abba Kabir Yusuf and Murtala Sule Garo
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, 63, is the oldest governorship candidate on the list. He won the 2023 election as the NNPP candidate, a victory the Supreme Court upheld in January 2024, and is now seeking a second term as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress. His running mate is his deputy governor, Murtala Sule Garo, 48.
LP: Hamisu Santuraki and Abbas Ibrahim
The Labour Party’s candidate is Santuraki Hamisu, 52, whose form lists a diploma in law. His running mate is Ibrahim Abbas, 60.
PDP: Mohammed Sani Abacha and Yusuf Ado Kibiya
The Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate is Mohammed Sani Abacha, 59, listed by INEC as Abacha Muhammed Sani. His running mate, Kibiya Yusuf Ado, is 68, the oldest person on any Kano ticket, and holds a BSc in agronomy according to his form.
PRP: Nasiru Hassan Koguna
The Peoples Redemption Party, founded by Mallam Aminu Kano and historically strong in the state, is represented by Koguna Nasiru Hassan, 56, with Kabir Abdulhamid Abdulhamid, 45, as running mate.
The Kano Ballot in Numbers
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Governorship candidates | 17, each with a running mate |
| Women governorship candidates | 1 – Ahmad Furera (BP) |
| Women running mates | 1 – Samira Bala Usman (NDP) |
| Youngest governorship candidate | Abdullahi Mustapha (NDP), 41 |
| Oldest governorship candidate | Abba Kabir Yusuf (APC), 63 |
| Average age of the 17 candidates | About 53 |
| Candidates declared as persons with disability | 1 |
Key Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Deadline for parties to report omitted candidates | 24 October 2026 |
| Presidential and National Assembly elections | Saturday, 16 January 2027 |
| Governorship and Kano State House of Assembly elections | Saturday, 6 February 2027 |
| Swearing-in of the governor | 29 May 2027 |
How a Candidate Wins in Kano
Under Section 179 of the Constitution, the winner must have the highest number of votes and at least a quarter of the votes cast in at least two-thirds of the state’s local government areas. With 44 LGAs, that means a candidate needs 25% in at least 30 of them. If no one meets both conditions, INEC organises a second election between the leading candidate and the candidate with a majority of votes in the highest number of LGAs.
For the national race, see our list of 2027 presidential candidates, and for collecting your voter’s card, our guide on how to check if your PVC is ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many candidates are running for Kano governor in 2027?
Seventeen are on INEC’s final list. The number could change if INEC accepts a party’s complaint about an omitted candidate before the 24 October deadline.
Which party is Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf running with in 2027?
The All Progressives Congress (APC). He was elected in 2023 on the NNPP platform.
Who is the PDP governorship candidate in Kano?
Mohammed Sani Abacha, with Yusuf Ado Kibiya as running mate.
Is the NNPP on the Kano governorship ballot?
No. Neither the NNPP nor the NDC is on INEC’s final list for the Kano governorship election.
When is the Kano governorship election?
Saturday, 6 February 2027, together with the State House of Assembly election.
Sources
- Independent National Electoral Commission – Final List of Candidates, Kano State Governorship Election 2027 (signed by Rose Oriaran-Anthony, Secretary) – inecnigeria.org
- Independent National Electoral Commission – “Clarification on the Omission of Some Candidates from the Final List for the 2027 Governorship Election”, October 2026; 2027 election calendar – inecnigeria.org
- Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Section 179
Last updated: 22 October 2026 · NaijaSabi Civic Desk. NaijaSabi does not endorse any candidate or party. If INEC changes the list, we will update this page.
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