Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, on Tuesday named the Executive Chairman of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service, Jerry Adams, as his running mate for the 2027 election.
- +Kaduna APC returns to Muslim-Christian gov ticket
The development brings an end to the Muslim-Muslim governorship ticket adopted by the All Progressives Congress in the state since 2019.
The development brings an end to the Muslim-Muslim governorship ticket adopted by the All Progressives Congress in the state since 2019.
The nomination of Adams, a Christian from Southern Kaduna, marks a significant political shift in the state’s power-sharing arrangement ahead of the 2027 polls.
Sani announced the decision in a statement, describing the choice as a reaffirmation of his administration’s commitment to inclusion, justice, equity and good governance.
He said Adams’ emergence was more than the selection of a deputy governorship candidate, stressing that it reflected the ideals that had guided his administration since assuming office on May 29, 2023.
“This decision is far greater than the selection of a deputy governorship candidate. It is a reaffirmation of the values that have guided our administration since I took the oath of office on 29 May 2023; the values of inclusion, justice, fairness, equity and the unwavering conviction that every citizen of Kaduna State deserves a genuine sense of belonging,” the governor said.
The development effectively ends the controversial Muslim-Muslim governorship ticket introduced by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai in 2019, when Dr Hadiza Balarabe, a Muslim from Southern Kaduna, was picked as deputy governor.
Although Balarabe hails from the predominantly Christian Southern Kaduna axis, many groups had argued that the region had been denied representation by a Christian at the highest level of the state’s executive arm.
The last Christian from Southern Kaduna to occupy the office of deputy governor was the late Barnabas Bantex, who served between 2015 and 2019 during El-Rufai’s first term before the APC adopted a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2019 election.
Before Tuesday’s announcement, Adams was among the leading contenders for the position alongside Anthony Hassan, popularly known as Dokaje, and the Kaduna State Head of Service, Mrs Jummai Bako.
Sani described Kaduna as a state blessed with ethnic, religious and cultural diversity, saying such diversity should unite rather than divide the people.
“Our history has taught us difficult lessons about the high cost of division, mistrust and exclusion.
“Yet it has also shown us that when we choose dialogue over discord, inclusion over alienation and justice over prejudice, our people achieve extraordinary things together,” he said.
Highlighting his administration’s achievements, the governor said development projects had been spread across the state’s 23 local government areas, with investments in road infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, water supply, rural development and social protection.
He added that collaboration with traditional rulers, religious leaders, community organisations, women and youth groups had strengthened peaceful coexistence and restored public confidence in government.
According to him, improved security across many communities has enabled farmers to return to their farms, encouraged businesses to expand and attracted fresh investments into the state.
The governor praised Adams for transforming the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service into one of Nigeria’s leading revenue-generating agencies through innovation, transparency and professionalism.
He said the agency’s improved internally generated revenue had strengthened Kaduna’s fiscal position and enabled greater investment in critical sectors of the economy.
Sani also described his running mate as “a man of integrity, humility and quiet strength,” who had consistently demonstrated commitment to peace, reconciliation and inclusive governance.
“His emergence reflects our continuing determination to build a Kaduna where merit, competence and character remain the true qualifications for leadership.”
The governor urged residents to support the APC ticket and view the nomination beyond ethnic, religious and regional sentiments.
“As we look towards 2027, I invite every son and daughter of Kaduna State to see this moment not through the narrow prism of religion, ethnicity or geography, but through the broader vision of the Kaduna we are building together; a Kaduna where every child can dream without fear, every community can flourish, every faith is respected and every citizen has an equal stake in our common future,” he added.
The PUNCH reports that the choice of Adams is expected to resonate strongly in Southern Kaduna, where political and religious groups have repeatedly demanded greater inclusion in the state’s leadership.
The adoption of a Muslim-Muslim governorship ticket in 2019 generated widespread debate and criticism, with many stakeholders arguing that it weakened the principle of religious balance in the state’s top political offices.
With Adams’ nomination, the APC has returned to a Muslim-Christian governorship ticket ahead of what is expected to be a keenly contested 2027 election in Kaduna State.
