Gaya Loses Kano South Senate Seat as NDC Nominates Former NARTO Chief Batayya

Former Kano South Senator Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya has lost his bid to return to the Senate after the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) chose former National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) chairman Alkasim Ibrahim Batayya as its 2027 candidate.

Gaya, who recently joined the NDC after leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had sought the party’s ticket for the Kano South Senatorial District.

The party settled on Batayya through a consensus arrangement reached during a meeting at the Miller Road residence of former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in Kano on Sunday.

Kwankwaso’s spokesperson Mansur Kurugu confirmed the development, saying Gaya has accepted the outcome and pledged support for the party’s candidate.

“Kabiru Gaya has already accepted the decision and has promised to give his maximum support for Batayya to win the seat,” Kurugu said.

He added that the consensus process would continue until all elective positions are decided without necessarily conducting primary elections.

A video later shared by Kwankwaso’s media aide Saifullahi Hassan showed Gaya publicly endorsing the decision.

The development marks a major political setback for Gaya, who represented Kano South in the Senate from 2015 to 2023 and also served as governor of Kano State during the Third Republic.

Batayya is expected to face incumbent Senator Sumaila, who won the seat in 2023 under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) before defecting to the APC, where he has secured the party’s ticket for the 2027 contest.