Abdulaziz Umar Ganduje, the eldest son of former APC National Chairman and ex-Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has joined the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and obtained nomination forms to contest for the House of Representatives.
Abdulaziz is seeking to represent the Dawakin Tofa/Tofa/Rimin Gado Federal Constituency in Kano State ahead of the next general election.
His move marks a notable political shift, given his father’s long-standing influence within the All Progressives Congress (APC). However, Abdulaziz has maintained ties with the Kwankwasiyya political movement over the years and is regarded as a loyal ally of its leader and former Kano governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
A video circulating online showed Abdulaziz in a meeting with Kwankwaso shortly after securing the nomination form. During the meeting, he was said to have briefed the former governor on his political ambition and preparations for the contest.
The development adds another layer to the enduring political rivalry between Ganduje and Kwankwaso, two powerful figures whose alliance in Kano politics collapsed years ago and has since shaped the state’s political landscape.
Despite his father’s prominence in the APC, Abdulaziz has remained politically distant from the former governor’s camp and has openly identified with the Kwankwasiyya movement.
His political profile drew wider attention following a controversial family dispute involving his mother, Professor Hafsat Umar Ganduje. Abdulaziz had reportedly petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged failed agreement involving her.
He is now aiming for the same House of Representatives seat contested by his younger brother, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, under the APC in the 2023 election.
Umar, despite backing from the APC and the influence of his father who was governor at the time, lost the seat to a candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Abdulaziz’s entry into the race under the NDC banner is expected to stir fresh political conversations in Kano as alignments begin to take shape ahead of 2027.
