Kaduna Central : Shehu Sani , Mairago , Others To Battle For APC Ticket

dailytrust.com · Feb 27, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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The race for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the Kaduna Central senatorial seat ahead 2027, would be one of the most heated contests for party nominations, our correspondent has observed.This is because permutations for the ticket has since commenced and the intrigues involved are already creating ripples within the party. Our correspondent reports that the APC aspirants are unrelenting in their bid to get the party’s ticket seeing that the platform of the incumbent, the PDP is in crisis.SPONSOR AD At the center of the storm is Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central zone in the Senate from 2015 to 2019. Sani has early enough given the indication that he is ready to re-contest the seat which slipped out of his hands in 2019. Shariah council to US: You can’t stop Shariah in Nigeria NUC warns against abuse of honorary doctoratesShehu Sani lost his bid to return to the Red Chamber to Uba Sani, who was then the political adviser to Nasir El-Rufai and now the governor of Kaduna State.After years of political disagreements with the APC leaders in the state, leading to his defection and later reconciliation with the current leaders, Shehu Sani is back in the APC and seriously eyeing returning to the Senate.Analysts however posit that unlike 2015 when he pulled a surprise to secure the APC ticket, his chances this time depend on many factors which include prevailing internal realignments within the party, influence of the state governor, sentiments of the APC national body and grassroots support.The main contendersShehu Sani is not alone in the race for the APC ticket. Our correspondent reliably gathered that other strong persons interest in the ticket include Yarima Shattima, Aminu Zaria, Yusuf Zailani, and Yusuf Hamisu (popularly known as Mairago).Yarima Shattima and Aminu Zaria are seen as close friends of Governor Uba Sani. Mairago had for long also being a close political associate and ally of the governor until recently when they had disagreements.Zailani, a former Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, on the other hand is known for his strong grassroots support, especially in Igabi LGA, Kaduna North, and Kaduna Central.A former councillor from Kaduna North Zone, Zubairu Shan’una, said ordinarily, Zailani is the man to beat for the position if the choice is going to be thrown open to the party members but said other factors like state support are not in his favour.He said: “If the APC party allows a proper primary election to take place, some will get the ticket due to grassroots support but if state influence is what determines the ticket, then others would get it, and If national influence is what determines who gets the ticket, it will favour others.”He said Shehu Sani has about a 50 percent chance of getting the party’s ticket because of his national connections and influence within the state.“Getting the party ticket does not mean you will winning,’ he added.How Sani fell out with the APC leadersShehu Sani’s political problems with the APC started during the administration of Nasir El-Rufai when the former complained that he was not being carried along in governance of the state. The crisis between the heigthened when the state government tried to secure a $350 million loan but Sani and the two other senators openly opposed the bid at the Senate.When Sani saw that his efforts to run for the senate on the platform of the APC was being blocked by El-Rufai, he left for the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), but lost his re-election bid at the general elections.Uba Sani, who ran on the APC platform and E;-Rufai’s political adviser defeated Shehu Sani. The same fate befell Senator Hunkuyi who represented the Northern zone due to his parting of ways with El-Rufai.As the jostle for positioning ahead 2027 has commenced, things have changed with Shehu Sani pushing forward to grab the APC ticket. This is more so as Shehu Sani and the governor are now in the same political camp having since reconciled their differences. It is believed that President Bola Tinubu played a role in reconciling Shehu Sani with the Kaduna political structure.Analysts say the reconciliation was helped by the fact that Shehu Sani and Governor were once close allies from their student days at Kaduna Polytechnic and during the NADECO struggle. The duo were also united in their opposition to the former governor who has since resigned from the APC and is teaming up with opposition elements across the country.Grassroots politics vs national influenceMany observers believe Shehu Sani’s strength lies more at the national level than at the grassroots. He is now openly supportive of President Tinubu’s administration and frequently defends the federal government.However, some residents feel that compared to the past, his influence on ordinary voters who once admired him for being outspoken during the Buhari administration has been affected.Ahmed Usman Ahmed, an APC chieftain in Kaduna South, shares this view. He said candidates like Yarima Shattima and Aminu Zaria may enjoy positive perception because they have not held many political appointments before.He said the fact that both Shehu Sani and Mairago are from Kaduna South LG may split their votes and highlights a key challenge while ailani is counting on his grassroots acceptance..The risk of political gang-upObservers believe that though El-Rufai has left the APC, he retains a level of interest in many of the LGs in the central zone. This could count against some of the aspirants who are not in good terms with the former governor.Insiders also believe that as the race hots up there might be negotiations such those who are unable to secure the senatorial ticket, may be compensated with other major appointments at the federal level.The support for President Tinubu is seen by some as part of a broader political strategy by some of those eyeing the Senate ticket.For Shehu Sani and Mairago. national influence and connection to Abuja are major advantages while for others like Zailani, their connection to the grassroots remains a serious advantage.In Kaduna politics, securing the APC ticket would be a tough battle due to the strength of all the contenders as would be the first major hurdle to get to the SenateUPDATE NEWS: Nigerians can now invest ₦2.5 million on premium domains and profit about ₦17-₦25 million. All earnings paid in US Dollars. Rather than wonder, click here to find out how it works.