The All Progressives Congress (APC) is reportedly considering replacing its long-serving member of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, with a consensus candidate, Air Vice Marshal (rtd) Salisu Yushau, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Findings indicate that Air Vice Marshal (rtd) Salisu Yushau, a former Special Adviser on Joint Security Services to Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, resigned his appointment before emerging as a prominent figure within the APC structure in Tudun Wada Local Government Area.
Party stakeholders, on Saturday in Tudun Wada, during a meeting attended by the Kano State ALGON Chairperson, the serving Chairperson of Tudun Wada Local Government, Hajiya Saadatu Salisu Soja, former chairman of Tudun Wada, Ahmad Tijjani Musa, and other APC leaders, reportedly endorsed Yushau as the party’s consensus candidate for the House of Representatives seat.
A source at the meeting said the decision followed extensive consultations within the local party hierarchy.
“We have agreed that Air Vice Marshal Salisu Yushau represents the future of the party in this constituency. The consensus was reached after careful consideration of competence, integrity and acceptability,” the source said.
However, in a counter-development, a viral video showed former Kano State Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Nura Muhammad Dankadai, alongside other APC stakeholders, endorsing Alhassan Ado Doguwa as their preferred consensus candidate.
Doguwa, one of the longest-serving lawmakers in Nigeria’s House of Representatives, was first elected in 1992 during the Third Republic, returned in 2007, and has remained in the lower chamber since then.
He remains a dominant political figure in the Tudun Wada/Doguwa Federal Constituency and was declared winner of the 2023 election after the Election Petition Tribunal upheld his victory over Air Vice Marshal (rtd) Yushau.
Meanwhile, all outstanding consensus committees across constituencies are expected to submit their reports to the Kano State Governor today, Sunday. Party officials said that where consensus fails, primary elections will be conducted.
A top APC chieftain at the state level, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the party is currently divided over the development.
“Honestly, most stakeholders at both state and local levels are not comfortable with Doguwa’s return. There is a strong indication that the party is tilting towards Air Vice Marshal Salisu Yushau as the preferred candidate,” the chieftain said.
He added: “The situation is delicate. While Doguwa still has strong grassroots influence, there is a growing push within the structure for new leadership. The consensus process is not as straightforward as it appears.”
The development signals a widening rift within the APC structure in Kano as consultations intensify ahead of the party’s final decision on its candidates for the 2027 elections.
