Kaduna Gov Uba Sani Dumps Deputy, Picks Christian Running Mate for 2027 Race

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has named the Executive Chairman of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS), Jerry Adams, as his running mate for the 2027 governorship election.

Governor Sani said the decision followed wide consultations across different segments of the state.

According to him, the choice was guided by the need to promote inclusion, fairness and balanced representation in Kaduna’s political structure.

Adams, a native of Southern Kaduna, was appointed Executive Chairman of KADIRS in 2023 and has since overseen tax administration and revenue reforms in the state.

The governor described him as a competent public servant whose experience in public finance and administration would strengthen the administration’s development agenda.

According to Sani, the nomination reflects his government’s commitment to merit, competence and equitable representation across Kaduna State.

The development also means the current Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, will not return on the 2027 ticket.

Balarabe, who has served as deputy governor since 2019, is completing her second consecutive term in office and is not eligible for another term under constitutional provisions.

Many people in the state view the choice of Adams as a move that could further strengthen the administration’s outreach to Southern Kaduna, a region that has remained influential in the state’s politics.

Adams has built a reputation within government circles as a tax administrator and public sector reform advocate.

Under his leadership, KADIRS has recorded improvements in revenue collection and the expansion of the state’s tax base.

The governor maintained that his administration remains focused on delivering development projects, strengthening peace and promoting unity among the diverse communities in Kaduna State.

In a related development, Jerry Adams earlier this month publicly declared his support for Governor Uba Sani’s re-election bid while speaking during a meeting with leaders of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Kaduna.

During the engagement, Adams praised the governor’s leadership style and attributed the growth in tax compliance and internally generated revenue in the state to what he described as an inclusive and people-focused administration.

“Uba Sani’s government is a government with a human face. It is a government that has a human face, and that is why we want him back in 2027,” Adams said.

He also commended the governor’s efforts in promoting peaceful coexistence across religious and ethnic lines in Kaduna State.

“Governor Sani is doing well. He has done a lot in terms of peacebuilding and inclusivity. People are no longer talking about segregation in religion. What people are asking for is fairness, and that is what is happening now,” he stated.

Speaking further, Adams highlighted the governor’s relationship with communities in Southern Kaduna and his engagement with traditional institutions.

“We have seen the governor in different Christian fora as a Muslim. Especially those of us from Southern Kaduna have seen him respect our traditional rulers,” he said.

The KADIRS chairman also dismissed speculation linking him to other political ambitions at the time and reaffirmed his loyalty to the governor.

“I am 100 per cent loyal to the governor. He is my boss and our leader, and anything that will make him succeed is what we will do,” Adams said.

The remarks, made weeks before his emergence as Governor Sani’s running mate, are now being viewed as an indication of the strong working relationship that exists between both men.