Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Coronation Hall of the Kano State Government House witnessed a confluence of political heavyweights on Tuesday morning as Honourable Murtala Sule Garo took the oath of office as the new Deputy Governor of Kano State. The ceremony, which commenced at exactly 11:00 a.m., was presided over by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who watched as the Chief Judge of Kano State, Justice Dije Aboki, administered the oath of office on the 48-year-old political administrator. Garo’s ascension to the Deputy Governor’s seat comes barely five weeks after the voluntary resignation of his predecessor, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, on March 27, 2026, and days after the Kano State House of Assembly unanimously confirmed his nomination after a rigorous screening process.
The swearing‑in was not just a routine administrative formality; it was a vivid display of the realigning political forces in Nigeria’s second most populous state. In attendance was the former governor of Kano State and ex‑national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, whose political influence was critical in Garo’s emergence. The presence of Ganduje, alongside former governor Ibrahim Shekarau and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, underscored the complex web of alliances that characterise Kano politics. Also present were the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Ismail Falgore, and the 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, whose attendance added a traditional dimension to the political gathering. The diverse attendance signalled a broad base of support for Garo, even as analysts pointed to the deep divisions among the stakeholders who had backed different candidates for the position.
A 48‑year‑old political administrator with over two decades of service in both elective and appointed positions, Garo brings a wealth of executive and legislative experience to the deputy governor’s office. Born in Kano State, he has served as State Organising Secretary of his party, Special Adviser to a Kano State Governor, elected Chairman of Kabo Local Government Area, Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) Kano Chapter, and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. In the 2023 general elections, he was the Deputy Governorship Candidate of the APC, a position that kept him on the ballot alongside Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf. His nomination by the governor on April 22, 2026, was transmitted to the State House of Assembly under Section 191(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers a state governor to nominate a deputy whenever a vacancy occurs in that office.
The vacancy Garo now fills was created by the dramatic exit of Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, who resigned on March 27, 2026, following a well‑documented fallout with Governor Yusuf. Gwarzo’s departure was linked to the governor’s defection from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that reshaped the state’s political landscape and left Gwarzo, who remained in the NNPP, politically isolated. The resignation triggered a constitutional process that required the governor to nominate a replacement, a process that quickly became a subject of intense lobbying and power play. The governor had received three names from the legacy stakeholders of the APC, including Alhassan Kabiru Rurum, a serving member of the House of Representatives, and Sulaiman Bichi, a former Secretary to the State Government. After weeks of wide consultations, Governor Yusuf settled on Garo, a decision that was greeted with overwhelming jubilation by supporters of the APC who poured into the streets of Kano to celebrate the widely accepted choice.
The screening and confirmation process at the Kano State House of Assembly was thorough, though not contentious. Governor Yusuf had formally forwarded Garo’s name to the Assembly on April 22, 2026, and Speaker Ismail Falgore immediately referred the nomination to a 12‑member ad hoc screening committee chaired by Deputy Speaker Bello Butubutua. The committee examined Garo’s academic credentials, professional experience, and personal background, and also conducted security checks. After the committee presented its findings during plenary, the House unanimously adopted the report and confirmed Garo as the new Deputy Governor. Lawmakers expressed confidence in his ability to support the governor and drive development in the state, describing him as a round peg in a round hole. His confirmation was a critical step that allowed the swearing‑in to proceed without legal or legislative obstacles.
The emergence of Garo as the new Deputy Governor is laden with implications for the 2027 general elections. He had, in the 2023 elections, run as the APC’s deputy governorship candidate alongside Governor Yusuf. That ticket lost the election to the NNPP’s Abba Kabir Yusuf and his then‑deputy, Aminu Gwarzo. However, the subsequent defection of Governor Yusuf to the APC has effectively unified the winning governor and his former rival on the same ticket. By appointing Garo, who had been his opponent in the previous election, as his deputy, Governor Yusuf has taken a significant step toward consolidating the APC’s hold on Kano State and silencing internal opposition. For the APC, the pairing of Yusuf and Garo offers a balanced ticket that merges the governor’s populist appeal with Garo’s deep roots in the party’s traditional structure.
The deputy governor’s office in Kano State is not a ceremonial post. The Deputy Governor chairs the State Economic Advisory Council, oversees the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and plays a leading role in the state’s security committee. Garo’s experience as a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and as a former local government chairman equips him to manage the state’s sometimes volatile relationship with the 44 local government areas. His first assignment will be to help stabilise the local government system, which has been in turmoil since the fallout between Governor Yusuf and his former deputy led to a leadership crisis in several councils.
As the new deputy governor settles into his office at the Government House, the people of Kano State will be watching to see whether his appointment will bring the stability and development that the governor has promised. The emir, the political leaders, and the cheering crowds at the Coronation Hall have given him their blessing. The real work now begins, and the test of Garo’s tenure will be whether he can help deliver on the governor’s ambitious agenda for education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic development. For now, the political class in Kano has turned its attention to the next set of calculations. With Garo now firmly in place, the stage is set for the battle for the soul of Kano politics ahead of 2027.
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