Kano ADC Rejects Ibrahim Little, Affirms Khalil As Gubernatorial Candidate

The Expanded State Interim Leadership Team (ESILT) and senior stakeholders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kano State have issued an unequivocal endorsement of Mallam Ibrahim Khalil as the party’s sole candidate for the 2027 governorship election.

The declaration comes amid what party leaders described as undue and unconstitutional interference in the state chapter’s affairs by a national officer, Hajiya Najaatu Muhammad, whom they accused of alleged moves to divide the party.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, the Chairman of the Elders Committee of the party in Kano, Sulaiman Mambo, and the State Chairman of the party, Musa Shanono Ungogo, said the endorsement followed the gubernatorial primaries held on May 22, 2026, where Mallam Ibrahim Khalil secured a decisive victory with 55,851 votes, far surpassing his opponent, Ibrahim El-Amin Little, who garnered 4,000 votes.

Mambo warned that “Mallam Ibrahim Khalil’s mandate must be respected.” In a position paper addressed to the National Chairman, Senator David B. Mark, the Kano State ADC leaders stressed that the party’s credibility and electoral viability were being threatened by forces seeking material benefits.

They insisted that Khalil’s mandate, freely given by party faithful, must be respected and restored.

“The election was clear: there was a winner and a loser. Our endorsement is not just about the primary results but a strategic decision based on Kano’s political history and local peculiarities,” the leaders stated.

Explaining why they support Ibrahim Khalil, the stakeholders highlighted several factors underpinning their position.

They said Kano’s electoral importance makes it a political and economic pivot of Northern Nigeria, noting that the outcome carries national implications.

They also said Khalil could galvanise a strong institutional alliance of the ulama that would add value to the party’s presidential election across the North-West.

According to them, Khalil enjoys organic grassroots appeal, with widespread support among women and youths who follow his radio programmes, positioning him as a strong candidate.

They further described him as a foundational member of the ADC Legacy Group who played a key role in building party structures and sustaining its survival.

The stakeholders also credited Khalil with transformative leadership, describing him as a unifier respected across Islamic groups and among Christian communities, and offering a departure from corrupt politics in opposing factions.

The Kano ADC leaders strongly condemned what they termed the “undue and unwarranted interference” of Hajiya Naja’atu Muhammad, the former Deputy National Chairman (Values and Ethics), in the affairs of the state chapter.

They accused her of instructing the Election Committee Chairman not to announce primary results and of substituting real stakeholders with her allies.

They maintained that being a national officer does not confer the power to dictate the affairs of a state chapter arbitrarily.

They added that the ADC constitution defines the powers of each organ and that no provision empowers the Deputy National Chairman to supervise state chapters.

They also noted that the office previously held by Hajiya Naja’atu Muhammad no longer exists in any substantive legal capacity following recent constitutional amendments and NEC conclusions.

They warned that her actions are “unlawful, constitutionally invalid, and must be treated as such.”