The victory of Muhammad Bello Dalhatu in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election in Kano State has triggered fresh calls for reconciliation and party unity as the opposition prepares for the 2027 general elections.
Party stakeholders and supporters who spoke after the conclusion of the exercise described the primary as a defining moment for the PDP and urged aggrieved members to place the party’s collective interest above individual ambitions.
Dalhatu emerged winner of the keenly contested primary after polling 2,233 votes, defeating his closest challenger, Mohammed Sani Abacha, son of late military Head of State, Sani Abacha, who secured 749 votes.
Reacting to the outcome, party loyalists said the PDP must now shift attention from internal contests to the broader task of rebuilding its political strength and positioning itself to challenge for power in Kano in 2027.
According to them, the victory should be seen as one for the entire party rather than an individual triumph, stressing that healing divisions created during the primary process would be crucial to the party’s electoral prospects.
Supporters of the party described Dalhatu as a politician with the capacity to reshape the political landscape in Kano, provided the opposition remains united and focused on a common goal.
They argued that the coming political contest would require discipline, strategic mobilisation and a united front capable of confronting the entrenched political structures that currently dominate the state’s political space.
There were also appeals to aspirants and their supporters who may be dissatisfied with the outcome of the primary to embrace dialogue and internal dispute-resolution mechanisms rather than deepen divisions that could weaken the party ahead of the governorship election.
The Chairman of the PDP Kano State Governorship Primary Election Committee, Umar Hadejia, formally declared Dalhatu winner of the exercise and described the process as peaceful, transparent and credible.
However, the outcome has already generated fresh legal and political tensions within the party.
Mohammed Sani Abacha has rejected the result and approached the courts in a bid to challenge earlier rulings affecting his candidacy and restore his status within the contest.
The dispute has revived memories of the PDP’s turbulent 2023 governorship cycle in Kano, which was marked by parallel primaries and prolonged legal battles involving Abacha and Sadiq Wali over the party’s authentic governorship ticket.
Political observers believe the latest disagreement could test the PDP’s ability to manage post-primary grievances and maintain internal stability in one of Nigeria’s most politically significant states.
Despite the emerging tensions, many party stakeholders insist that the PDP still possesses the structure, experience and political reach required to remain competitive ahead of the next election cycle, provided its leaders and supporters avoid actions capable of undermining party cohesion.