The campaign team of former Kano State governorship candidate Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna has rejected reports that a group described as “Gawuna’s bigwigs” has dumped the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and is preparing to return to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Gawuna Campaign Coordinating Team said the individuals at the centre of the report have not been part of Dr. Gawuna’s official political structure since June.
In a statement signed by the team’s Director-General and Chairman, Dist. Sen. Saleh Adamu Kwaru, the campaign said the individuals had already separated themselves from Gawuna’s political structure before the latest reports emerged.
Gawuna Camp Says Group Left Structure in June
The campaign team said the individuals became dissatisfied after Gawuna rejected what it described as personal demands that were considered unjustified.
According to the statement, the group subsequently pursued political discussions independently and should therefore no longer be associated with Gawuna’s official campaign structure.
The team said this distinction was necessary to prevent the public from interpreting the reported political movement as a setback for Gawuna or his wider political organisation.
Campaign Alleges Talks With ADC
The Gawuna camp further alleged that members of the group independently opened discussions with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), seeking to persuade Gawuna to accept the party’s governorship ticket.
According to the campaign team, the proposed arrangement allegedly involved campaign financing, legislative opportunities and other political benefits.
The statement did not provide independent evidence of the alleged negotiations, and the claims remain those of the Gawuna campaign team.
The development comes amid increasingly fluid political calculations ahead of the 2027 elections, with political actors across Kano continuing to reassess their positions and alliances.
The Bureau Journal previously reported on the appearance of campaign-style posters for former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi across Kano, highlighting how political activity around the 2027 elections has already begun taking shape in the state.
Gawuna Camp Rejects ‘Major Setback’ Narrative
The campaign team said the alleged political movement should not be interpreted as a major setback for Gawuna because the affected individuals had already ceased to operate within his official structure.
It maintained that the campaign’s 2027 political machinery had been developed independently of the individuals involved in the controversy.
The team also claimed that Gawuna’s political structure was continuing to expand across Kano State, with politicians, community leaders and grassroots mobilisers joining the movement.
The claim comes against a wider backdrop of political repositioning across Kano. The Bureau Journal recently reported the emergence of Dr. Muhammad Hamisu as the NDC candidate for the Gwale Federal Constituency contest, another indication of the party’s ongoing political activity in Kano ahead of the 2027 elections.
Political Alignments Shift Across Kano
Kano remains one of the major political battlegrounds ahead of the 2027 elections, with several parties seeking to consolidate their structures across the state.
Recent developments have involved party nominations, political endorsements and disputes over alliances, reflecting the increasingly competitive nature of the emerging electoral contest.
The Bureau Journal also recently reported on the NDC governorship candidate Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo’s call for stronger security measures across four Kano local government areas, highlighting another aspect of the party’s growing political engagement in the state.
At the national level, parties are similarly preparing their structures and candidates ahead of 2027. The Bureau Journal’s guide to the 2027 general elections examines the major political forces, electoral reforms and issues likely to shape the next election.
Gawuna Camp Calls for End to Association With Group
The campaign team consequently urged members of the public and media organisations to stop associating the group in question with Dr. Gawuna’s official political structure.
It said the clarification was necessary because reports linking the individuals to Gawuna could create a misleading impression about the state of his political organisation.
The team maintained that Gawuna’s campaign remained focused on consolidating its political position ahead of the 2027 elections.
The broader movement of politicians between political platforms is already shaping Nigeria’s pre-2027 landscape. The Bureau Journal has been tracking the emergence of APC candidates across the country as parties complete their preparations for the next general elections.
Gawuna Camp Says Campaign Structure Is Expanding
While dismissing the reported movement as a loss to its structure, the campaign team said its organisation continued to attract political stakeholders and grassroots actors across Kano State.
It said the campaign remained committed to strengthening its network ahead of the election and urged supporters to focus on the wider political objective rather than the individuals at the centre of the controversy.
For now, the Gawuna campaign’s position is that the individuals described in the reports have not been part of its official political structure since June and that any subsequent political negotiations or movements should be treated as separate from the former Kano governor’s campaign.
The Bureau Journal will continue to monitor political movements in Kano as parties and political actors position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
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