By Adamu Saleh Mai’dalibai Kazaure
Senator Sabo Nakudu is a former member of the House of Representatives who spent eight years representing the people of Birnin Kudu Federal Constituency at the Green Chamber before later serving as a Senator representing Jigawa Central for four years at the Red Chamber.
He lost the party primaries in 2023 to the late Tijjani Ibrahim Kiyawa. However, following the unfortunate passing of Tijjani Kiyawa, Sabo was later given another opportunity to contest, but he eventually lost the 2023 general election to Senator Mustapha Zanna of the PDP.
Ahead of the 2023 elections, Senator Sabo attempted to defect to the NNPP with the ambition of securing the party’s governorship ticket. However, he faced strong resistance from party members who overwhelmingly supported Malam Aminu Ibrahim Ringim as the party’s candidate. This forced him to suspend his plans and remain in the APC until the elections were concluded.
Just about a month ago, Senator Sabo joined the ADC with the intention of securing the governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.
His entry into the party, however, has triggered intense internal crisis and political tension within the ADC.
At the center of the party’s structure and leadership stands Honourable Bashir Adamu OFR, popularly known as Matawallen Kazaure, a respected political heavyweight, party pillar, and influential leader whose political experience, loyalty, and unmatched grassroots strength have continued to earn him the confidence of party leaders, stakeholders, and supporters across Jigawa State. Many within the party strongly believe that he remains the most credible, capable, and sellable candidate to lead the ADC into victory in the 2027 governorship election.
This growing support for Hon. Bashir Adamu OFR appears to have unsettled Senator Sabo, who is now making desperate efforts to force his way into securing the ticket at all costs. Believing that financial power alone can guarantee political success, he and his loyalists have intensified attacks and smear campaigns against Matawallen Kazaure on social media platforms.
However, party leaders and stakeholders maintain that Hon. Bashir Adamu OFR has been the backbone of the movement from its formative stage to its current emergence as a major opposition force capable of challenging the ruling APC in Jigawa State.
Matawallen Kazaure is a former member of the House of Representatives who spent sixteen years representing his people with distinction. During his time in the National Assembly, he rose to become a highly influential national figure and chaired several important committees, earning respect across party lines due to his experience, leadership qualities, and political maturity.
As the internal struggle within the ADC continues to intensify, debates over who should fly the party’s governorship flag have become more heated. While Senator Sabo reportedly seeks to influence party structures with money in order to secure the ticket, he continues to face strong resistance across the state, a situation many interpret as a sign of his weak political acceptance and limited grassroots appeal.
Political observers also note that apart from Dutse, Senator Sabo lacks significant influence across most parts of Jigawa State. Unlike Matawallen Kazaure, who previously contested for governor under both the SDP and PDP and has built strong name recognition across every corner of the state, Sabo remains relatively unknown in many local communities.
Hon. Bashir Adamu OFR, on the other hand, is widely known, widely respected, and widely accepted across Jigawa State. He enjoys cordial relationships with people from all political backgrounds and commands a formidable political structure in almost every local government area of the state. His popularity, humility, experience, and connection with the grassroots continue to distinguish him as the leading force and most formidable political figure within the ADC ahead of the 2027 governorship race.
Adamu Saleh Mai’dalibai Kazaure
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