The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), Abba Kabir Yusuf, well known as Abba Gida-Gida, as winner of the Kano state gubernatorial election.
In the final results announced by Returning Officer, Professor Ahmad Doko Ibrahim, Abba Gida-Gida polled 1,019,602 votes, while the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, polled 890,705 votes to come second.
While a total number of 2,084 votes were cast, Abba defeated Gawuna with 128,897 votes.
An analyst and a senior lecturer at Kano College of Education and Preliminary Studies, Dr Kabiru Sa’id Sufi has described the election as a “keen and sharp contest.”
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Below are some of the factors that led to Yusuf’s victory:
Kwankwaso’s performance in presidential poll
Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s performance at the February 25 presidential election is one of the factors that led to Abba Kabir Yusuf’s victory in the just concluded Kano governorship election, according to Professor Kamilu Sani Fagge.
The leader of the Kwankwasiyya had won in Kano State during the 2023 presidential election by polling almost one million votes to beat his close challenger, Tinubu, to a distant second.
Pro. Fagge said, “Kwankwaso is a political mentor and he has appeal with the youth. If you calculate, youth constitute the majority of voters. That is why youth turned out en masse and they are able to succeed.”
Dissatisfaction with APC gov’t
Prof. Fagge added that dissatisfaction with the APC government at state and national levels contributed to the NNPP candidate’s victory.
He said that the youth are not happy with some of the policies the APC-led government introduced.
Voter apathy
Even though Kano has more than five million registered voters, only 2,084,000 votes were cast in the election.
Fagge argued that “The turnout during the election was very low. With such a turnout, you expect such upset, given the fact that the majority of older people did not participate in the election.”
Improved electoral process
Dr Kabiru Sa’id Sufi said improved election process as one of the factors that led to Abba Kabir Yusuf’s victory.
He said that INEC had improved in the governorship and state assembly elections.
He stated, “The election started on time. And generally the presence of security personnel in most of the polling units encouraged people to come out and exercise their rights.
Quest for change
Dr Sufi also attributed Abba’s victory to fatigue on the side of the electorate, saying the electorate needed some fresh air.
The APC government in Kano State would have done two terms of eight years in a row by May 29.
Governor Abdullahi Umar Gnaduje was voted into power in 2015 and re-elected in 2019.
Dr Sufi explained that “with time, people get tired with some crops of leaders. That usually leads to yearning and aspiration for change. This may also be another factor.
Aggressive campaign
Dr Sufi argued that aggressive campaignis one of the factors, saying the NNPP engaged youths in its activities.
He moted that most of the students the Kwankwaso administration sponsored to study abroad are solidly behind Abba Kabir’s candidature.
Sufi said, “The NNPP through the engagement of the youth had engaged in aggressive campaigns especially on social media. That also helped a lot.”
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