Kebbi 2027: Idris, Deputy Clash Over Augie’s Emergence as running mate

Political tension is building within the Kebbi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the 2027 governorship election after Governor Nasir Idris replaced his deputy, Umar Abubakar-Tafida, with former Finance Commissioner Ibrahim Muhammad Augie as his running mate.

The development has brought Governor Idris, Tafida and Augie into the centre of a fresh political dispute over the APC ticket for the next governorship election.

Augie’s selection was announced on Sunday at the Presidential Lodge in Birnin Kebbi by the APC National Organising Secretary, Suleiman Muhammad Argungu, during a meeting between the governor and political stakeholders from the Argungu Emirate.

Argungu explained that the decision followed legal advice received by the party concerning Tafida’s eligibility to remain on the governor’s ticket for the 2027 election. He said the party reviewed legal issues connected to the 2023 governorship election before settling on Augie as Idris’ new running mate.

The APC official also said Tafida understood and accepted the decision, maintaining that the governor and his deputy remained on good terms.

However, that account was later challenged by an aide to the deputy governor, Yahaya Danjadda, who said Tafida was not consulted before the announcement was made.

Danjadda, who serves as Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor on New Media, rejected the suggestion that his principal had been involved in the decision before it was made public. He said presenting the situation otherwise could damage Tafida’s reputation.

The conflicting positions created uncertainty over whether Tafida had willingly agreed to leave the governor’s 2027 ticket.

The issue dates back to the legal battle that followed the 2023 Kebbi governorship election. The Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Aminu Bande, had challenged the APC victory in court.

Among the issues raised during the legal battle was an allegation that Tafida submitted a forged secondary school testimonial. The Court of Appeal dismissed the allegation in November 2023 while upholding Idris’ election.

The matter was later taken to the Supreme Court, which affirmed Idris’ victory on January 19, 2024.

The APC has relied on legal advice concerning that earlier dispute in explaining why Tafida was removed from the 2027 ticket. However, the party has not publicly disclosed the particular legal finding that would make Tafida ineligible to contest as Idris’ running mate in the next election.

Tafida has now personally spoken about the development, rejecting the suggestion that the Supreme Court judgment from the 2023 election dispute was the reason for his removal from the ticket.

The deputy governor spoke on Wednesday in Argungu when supporters, associates and well-wishers visited him following the announcement of Augie as Idris’ new running mate.

Tafida said he accepted the political decision but disagreed with attempts to connect his replacement directly to the Supreme Court ruling. He maintained that the interpretation being promoted about the judgment was unfair to him and could harm his political standing.

He also indicated that he was not opposed to the change if the decision was genuinely intended to strengthen the APC and improve its chances of retaining the governorship in 2027.

The deputy governor called on his supporters to remain peaceful and calm, noting that political positions can change with time.

The controversy, however, remains within the party, with the APC leadership presenting the replacement as a decision based on legal advice, while Tafida has disputed the explanation linking it to the previous election case.

The development does not mean that Tafida has been removed as Deputy Governor of Kebbi State. His current position remains unchanged, while the dispute concerns his replacement as Idris’ running mate on the APC ticket for the 2027 governorship election.