A one-month pre-election survey conducted across the Kano South senatorial district has projected the incumbent senator, Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as leading voter preference with 65 percent, ahead of Kassim Ibrahim Bataiya of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who polled 35 percent.
The survey, conducted by Apex Reputation Management, covered all 16 local government areas in the district — Ajingi, Albasu, Bebeji, Bunkure, Doguwa, Garko, Gaya, Kibiya, Kiru, Rano, Rogo, Sumaila, Takai, Tudun Wada, Wudil and Karaye.
According to the report signed by Aliyu Muhammad S., managing consultant at Apex Reputation Management, the exercise was designed “to assess voter perception, candidate visibility, and likely electoral preference ahead of the forthcoming senatorial election,” using focus group discussions (FGDs) and structured questionnaires administered across youth groups, women’s organisations, religious bodies and students.
The report said Kawu Sumaila maintained a clear lead across the district, attributing his dominance largely to visibility and constituency engagement.
It stated that “the aggregated results from both FGDs and questionnaire responses indicate a clear lead for the incumbent senator,” adding that his support base was driven by accessibility, empowerment programmes and sustained engagement with constituents.
Some respondents who backed the senator cited accessibility and responsiveness as key factors shaping their preference.
The report noted that “many participants noted that the senator is reachable and responsive through phone communication and constituency engagement channels,” while others pointed to empowerment initiatives targeted at youths and women.
In contrast, Bataiya recorded lower levels of support. The survey attributed this to limited grassroots presence, stating that “a significant number of respondents indicated they had limited or no knowledge of his political activities or presence in the district.”
It added that “FGDs suggested minimal interaction with youth groups, women’s associations, and community stakeholders,” with several respondents unable to identify his political record.
The report also showed variation in perception across demographic groups, with youths favouring the incumbent due to empowerment opportunities, while women’s groups prioritised access to support programmes.
Religious groups emphasised trust and community presence, while students focused on scholarship interventions and accessibility.
It concluded that “the incumbent enjoys stronger name recognition and an established political structure across the 16 LGAs,” noting that campaign visibility and grassroots engagement remain key determinants of voter behaviour in the district.
However, it cautioned that “this survey reflects public perception at the time of data collection and may evolve as the election period progresses.”
