Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Kebbi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has firmly denied reports that it has endorsed Governor Nasir Idris of the All Progressives Congress for the 2027 governorship election, insisting that the party remains united and fully committed to its own candidates across all elective positions. The denial, contained in a statement issued on Sunday, August 9, 2026, by the party's State Chairman, Usman Bello-Suru, came in response to growing speculation that a faction of the PDP had thrown its weight behind the incumbent governor, who is seeking a second term in office under the ruling APC.
Bello-Suru described the reports as "false, misleading, and without basis", emphasising that the PDP in Kebbi State is "one and united" and remains in "full harmony with all its candidates contesting in the upcoming elections". He urged party members and supporters to disregard circulating rumours aimed at creating confusion, stressing that those spreading the false reports "have no authority over the PDP in Kebbi".
The controversy stems from a gathering of PDP stakeholders and supporters in Birnin Kebbi over the weekend, where a group led by former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ishaya Bamaiyi (retd.), declared its support for Governor Idris's re-election bid. Bamaiyi, who was joined by supporters of the party's 2015 governorship candidate, General Bello Yaki (retd.), associates of former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Buhari Bala, said the group's decision was based on its assessment of Idris's performance and his commitment to infrastructural development across the state. "For the 2027 elections, we are now fully committed to the victory of Governor Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu," Bamaiyi declared. However, he clarified that the group would remain within the PDP, arguing that political decisions could evolve with changing circumstances.
Bala, echoing Bamaiyi's sentiments, said their experience in Nigeria's political development made it impossible for them to remain passive in the face of what he described as the governor's "patriotic and selfless leadership". He said the governor's performance, particularly his commitment to infrastructure and the transformation of Birnin Kebbi, had convinced the group to support his continuation in office beyond 2027. Governor Idris, responding to the declaration, thanked the PDP stakeholders for expressing confidence in his administration, saying the declaration demonstrated growing support for his leadership and development agenda.
However, the Kebbi State PDP leadership swiftly moved to dissociate the party from the endorsement. In his statement, Bello-Suru said the party had "denied and rejected the issue of supporting the APC and its governorship candidate in Kebbi State in the forthcoming 2027 election". He insisted that the PDP in the state had "never taken any decision to support the APC" and that any position on the 2027 elections would only emerge through the appropriate organs of the party.
The party chairman further noted that the PDP has candidates for the State House of Assembly in all 21 local government areas, the House of Representatives across all eight federal constituencies, the Senate in the three senatorial districts, as well as a governorship candidate. Suru maintained that the party's candidates across the various elective positions demonstrate that the PDP remains a fully established and independent political entity in Kebbi State. He advised PDP members to "focus on uniting the people and disregard all false and baseless rumours being spread by those who want to confuse".
The factional National Chairman of the PDP, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, also distanced himself from the reported endorsement. When contacted, Turaki simply stated: "We are not aware of the meeting". In a Hausa phrase, he added: "Shirmen banaza ne" – meaning it was a figment of the imagination. Turaki's denial means that no endorsement of the Kebbi governor can presently be attributed to his faction.
The development has heightened political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with a group of PDP stakeholders backing the incumbent governor despite the state chapter's insistence that it has neither endorsed Idris nor abandoned its candidate. The development comes weeks after thousands of members of the African Democratic Congress from the seven local government areas of Kebbi South reportedly defected to the APC, including the party's House of Representatives candidate for Yauri/Shanga/Ngaski Federal Constituency. The latest realignment is expected to further shape the political contest in Kebbi State as the 2027 elections approach.
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