Ganduje’s Son Defects To Kwankwaso Camp, Deepening Kano Political Rift

Abdulaziz Umar Ganduje, eldest son of former All Progressives Congress National Chairman Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has formally aligned with the Kwankwasiyya political movement after obtaining a House of Representatives nomination form under the platform of the National Democratic Congress.
Abdulaziz picked the nomination form on Saturday to contest for the Dawakin Tofa/Tofa/Rimin Gado Federal Constituency seat in Kano State ahead of the next general election, in a move already generating major political ripples across the state.
The development is being viewed as a significant political embarrassment for the Ganduje camp given Abdulaziz’s open loyalty to former Kano governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasiyya movement despite his father’s long-standing dominance within the APC.
A viral video circulating online reportedly showed Abdulaziz meeting with Kwankwaso shortly after securing the nomination form, where he briefed the former governor on his ambition and readiness for the coming contest.
The move marks another dramatic twist in the prolonged political rivalry between Ganduje and Kwankwaso — two of Kano’s most influential political figures whose alliance collapsed years ago after jointly shaping the state’s political structure.
Despite his father’s powerful influence within the APC and his previous role as governor and national chairman of the ruling party, Abdulaziz has consistently maintained political distance from the Ganduje camp and openly identified with the Kwankwasiyya movement.
Political observers say the development could further weaken APC cohesion in Kano while strengthening opposition forces ahead of the 2027 political cycle.
Abdulaziz is also seeking to contest the same federal constituency seat previously contested by his brother, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, under the APC platform during the 2023 elections.
Umar Ganduje, however, lost the election to a candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party despite the political machinery controlled by their father at the time.
The latest development is expected to intensify political realignments within Kano, particularly among rival blocs battling for dominance in one of Nigeria’s most politically strategic states ahead of future elections.