Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, is expected to pick a Christian from Southern Kaduna as his running mate for the 2027 governorship election, in what would mark a return to the state’s long-standing tradition of balancing governorship tickets along religious lines.
The development comes ahead of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) deadline for the submission of candidates and their running mates, which is less than two weeks away.
Sources familiar with the consultations told Daily Trust that the governor had resolved to adopt a Muslim-Christian ticket, departing from the Muslim-Muslim arrangement introduced by his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai, ahead of the 2019 governorship election.
El-Rufai had replaced his first-term deputy, Barnabas Yusuf Bala, popularly known as Bantex, with Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, resulting in Kaduna’s first Muslim-Muslim governorship ticket since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
Balarabe was retained as deputy governor when Sani emerged as governor in 2023.
The need for a new running mate has reportedly intensified as Balarabe would be unable to take the oath of office as deputy governor for a third term.
Sources said Sani had considered several factors, including age, gender, zoning and religion, before settling on the need to prioritise religious balance while retaining the deputy governorship slot in Southern Kaduna.
“The governor has gone past that stage. He has decided that, for fairness, his ticket should be balanced in terms of faith. While other considerations were examined, he believes faith and senatorial balance should take precedence,” a Government House source said.
The source added that the governor had kept the identity of his preferred candidate confidential to avoid lobbying and political pressure ahead of an official announcement.
Among those reportedly being considered for the position are the Commissioner for Justice, James Kanyip; the Head of Service, Jummai Bako; and the Executive Chairman of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service, Jerry Adams.
However, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ibraheem Musa, declined to comment on the speculation.
He said the public would be informed once a decision had been formally taken.
The development has generated interest among political stakeholders, particularly in Southern Kaduna, where leaders have continued to demand that the deputy governorship position remain in the zone.
They argue that retaining the position would promote inclusion and strengthen a sense of political balance within the state.
