Yilwatda Meets Emir Sanusi as APC Begins 2027 Mobilisation

Yilwatda Meets Emir Sanusi as APC Begins 2027 Mobilisation

By Statecraft TV News

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has held a closed‑door meeting with the Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, in a move that political observers are interpreting as the ruling party’s early and strategic mobilisation for the 2027 general elections. Yilwatda, who was accompanied by senior APC leaders and party chieftains from Kano State, arrived at the historic Kofar Kudu Palace on Tuesday, and the meeting stretched on for several hours, though both sides have remained tight‑lipped about the precise details of their discussions.

However, a palace source who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that the engagement was heavily focused on the upcoming electoral cycle and the party’s broader efforts to consolidate its support base across Kano, which remains one of Nigeria’s most politically consequential states. According to the source, the national leadership of the APC was essentially at the palace to solicit the Emir’s endorsement for all the party’s candidates in Kano, acknowledging that the dynamics of Kano politics have shifted considerably and that the traditional institution, particularly under Sanusi, wields immense grassroots influence.

The source added that the APC leadership clearly recognises the Emir’s authority within the traditional council and his unique capacity for mass mobilisation and sensitisation on issues affecting the dignity and rights of the people of Kano, which is why they chose to approach him directly rather than rely solely on conventional political structures.

Interestingly, the visit has drawn particular attention because of Sanusi’s turbulent history with the APC‑led administration that previously removed him from the throne, yet the palace source insisted that the party is now acutely aware of the Emir’s political strength, pointing to his visible role during the last elections even when a sitting governor was in place.

The source went on to say that the APC National Chairman and the state leadership are doing their utmost to consolidate their position through the palace, suggesting that they see Sanusi as a critical ally whose backing could tilt the electoral balance in their favour. But not everyone is reading the meeting as a smooth political calculation; some critics have questioned why Yilwatda chose to engage with Sanusi rather than the 15th Emir, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, who still maintains a separate royal establishment and is recognised by a faction in the ongoing emirship dispute.

However, public affairs analyst Usman Usman swiftly dismissed such concerns, arguing that the visit should not be misconstrued as a political miscalculation but rather as part of the APC’s broader strategy to expand its networks and hedge its bets in a volatile political environment. Usman further challenged the assumption that Bayero commands a decisive electoral following, pointing to the 2023 Kano governorship election where the APC lost despite Bayero’s association with the party’s candidate, and he stressed that political influence is not measured by mere claims of popularity but must be demonstrated through observable electoral outcomes.

All of this unfolds against the simmering backdrop of the protracted Kano emirship tussle, which has remained unresolved since Sanusi was reinstated in May 2024 by Governor Abba Yusuf’s administration after the state government repealed the law that had created five separate emirates. Bayero, for his part, has continued to operate from his own palace, and the legal and political battle over the throne is far from over, with the Supreme Court yet to deliver a final judgment; for now, the subsisting legal position recognises both Bayero as the 15th Emir and Sanusi as the 14th Emir, leaving the matter in a state of legal limbo pending a conclusive ruling.

The APC’s overture to Sanusi, therefore, carries significant political weight, as it signals the party’s pragmatic recognition of his enduring capital in Kano despite the uncertainty surrounding his official status. With Kano set to remain a crucial battleground in 2027, the party’s courtship of the influential monarch underscores just how high the stakes are, and how traditional institutions continue to shape the electoral calculus in Nigeria’s most populous northern state.

Ultimately, whether this meeting translates into tangible electoral gains for the APC remains to be seen, but for now, it has certainly reignited conversations about the intersection of royalty, law, and partisan politics in the run‑up to the next general election.

This report was compiled by Statecraft TV News.

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