A former Minister of Labour and Productivity, SellJoel Ikenya, has been declared winner of the governorship primaries conducted by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Taraba State.

Mr Felix Hyat, the chairman of the election committee, who announced the results in Jalingo on Saturday, said Ikenya scored 34,173, to defeat Mr Dinshiya Usman, who polled 4,853.

Hyat, who described the exercise as free, fair and transparent, commended the state working committee of the party for the peaceful conduct.

Ikenya, in his acceptance speech, pledged to revive Taraba to her days of glory if elected governor in 2027.

“I will transform Taraba; I will change the state from salary base, to an industrialised state.

“My desire is to also revive the state infrastructure and attract more investors to boost the economy,” he said.

The governorship candidate, however, denied the allegations of factional PDP in Taraba.

“There is no factional PDP in Taraba; I don’t know where the other people are coming from.

“PDP in Taraba is one, and we do not have any faction in the state. We are working as one united family to reclaim our mandate from Gov. Agbu Kefas of the All Progressives Congress (APC),” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that, the Nyesom Wike led faction of the party had recently  declared senator Emmanuel Bwacha as its governorship candidate in Taraba.

NAN

Dr Musa Illiyasu Kwankwaso, Executive Director of Finance at the Hadejia–Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, has said that the concentration of development projects in northern Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu’s administration would secure the president’s re-election in the region in the next general election.

The projects, according to him, fall under the “Renewed Hope” agenda, with the Federal Executive Council (FEC) prioritising the North-West and North-East regions to boost regional trade, agriculture and connectivity.

Kwankwaso believes that the execution of projects and the attention shown by the president to Kano and the wider North would translate into strong electoral support in 2027.

In a statement released on Saturday, Kwankwaso listed projects such as the Kano–Kongolom Road, a 132-kilometre dualisation and construction project valued at N334 billion, designed to connect Kano with Jigawa and Katsina, among others.

Similarly, he cited the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Expressway, a major ongoing reconstruction project using reinforced concrete pavement technology, alongside enhanced security measures.

He also referenced the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, a 1,068-kilometre six-lane economic corridor with an integrated rail line, which he said demonstrates federal commitment to northern development.

Kwankwaso noted that the 37.8-kilometre Kano Eastern Bypass, designed to divert heavy industrial traffic away from the Kano metropolis, is ongoing and nearing completion.

Another major project, he said, is the Kano–Maradi Rail Line, a 284-kilometre rail project linking Kano, Jigawa and Katsina and extending connectivity towards the Niger Republic.

He also highlighted the Ajaokuta–Abuja–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, a 614-kilometre project aimed at boosting domestic gas supply, industrialisation and power generation in northern states.

On ecological and agricultural interventions, he said the federal government had approved the Jakara–Gogau–Zungeru project, a N47 billion urban drainage and sewage system in Kano metropolis aimed at flood control and improved sanitation.

He added that multi-billion-naira interventions had also been made for 16 dams in Kano State, including the Challawa Gorge and Tiga dams, as well as the broader Kano River irrigation project.

On healthcare, he noted ongoing upgrades of federal teaching hospitals across the northern region and the revitalisation of primary health centres under the IMPACT programme.

Kwankwaso also referenced the Energising Commercialisation Nigeria (ECoN) initiative launched in Kano by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, aimed at converting research outputs into commercially viable products to create jobs in the North-West.

He further mentioned the North-West Development Commission, noting that preparatory work and inspections for its projects and permanent headquarters in Kano are ongoing.

Kwankwaso said the projects are not merely on paper but are visible and ongoing, describing them as evidence of the president’s commitment to the region.

He added that President Tinubu would “sleep with his two eyes closed” because, in his view, the 2027 re-election was assured, with the North and Kano in particular expected to deliver strong support.

Senator Rufai Sani Hanga has reacted after changes were made to the 2027 election plans, with the Kano Central Senate ticket now handed to former Kano deputy governor Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna.

Kwankwasiyya leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso had earlier announced that Gawuna, who was previously tipped to contest for governor under the NDC, would instead run for the Kano Central Senate seat.

Speaking in an interview with local media in Kano, Hanga, who currently represents the district in the Senate, said the decision was fair and was reached after discussions within the Kwankwasiyya movement.

He explained that Gawuna was not simply given the ticket without consultation, stressing that party leaders met and discussed the matter before arriving at a final decision.

According to Hanga, he believes justice was done, and he is not upset about the decision because the movement considered what would be best for its political future.

“In our Kwankwasiyya movement, we are all one family. The question is, how do we arrange things in a way that will bring victory? How do we ensure everyone feels carried along? That is our approach,” he said.

Hanga added that the movement is aware of Gawuna’s political strength and support base.

“We know his strength, and we know the people behind him,” he stated.  

According to him, this was one of the key reasons why Gawuna was chosen for the Senate race, noting that the goal is for members of the movement to work together and achieve victory collectively.