2027: Katsina APC Ends Longstanding Male Dominance with Female Reps Candidate

Francis Sardauna in Katsina 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Katsina State has broken a longstanding tradition of male dominance in elective politics following the emergence of Hajiya Jamila Abdu Mani as the party’s candidate for the Mani/Bindawa Federal Constituency.

Mani, who currently serves as the Special Assistant on Girl Child Education and Child Development to Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, secured a landslide victory during the party’s National Assembly primary election held on Saturday.

She polled 24,989 votes to defeat her closest rival, Ahmed Saleh, who garnered 1,256 votes in the keenly contested exercise conducted on the platform of the ruling APC with observers from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Chairman APC Electoral Committee for Mani/Bindawa Federal Constituency, Shafi’u Abdu Duwan, who announced the result of the primary election, declared the governor’s aide as the winner of the poll.

He said: “Ahmed Saleh scored 1,256 votes, while Hon. Jamila Abdu Mani secured 24,989 votes. Therefore, by the powers vested in me as Chairman of the Electoral Committee for Mani/Bindawa Federal Constituency, I hereby declare Hon. Jamila Abdu Mani as the duly elected APC candidate for the constituency for the 2027 general election.”

However, her emergence is being celebrated by APC supporters, women groups and political observers as a major milestone for women’s political participation in Katsina, where elective positions have historically been dominated by men.

One of the supporters, Mohammed Ibrahim, described the governor’s aide’s victory as a reflection of growing acceptance of women in leadership positions and a sign of changing political dynamics within the state.

Ibrahim, who was among the APC supporters gathered after the declaration of the results, hailed the party for giving room to inclusiveness and rewarding competence, loyalty and grassroots mobilisation.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Saleh, who polled 1,256 votes in the Mani/Bindawa Federal Constituency primary election, was reportedly placed under “house arrest,” a development said to have prevented him from fully participating in the exercise.

It was also gathered that the incumbent lawmaker representing the constituency, Ahmad Yusuf Doro, was persuaded to step down from the race by the reconciliation committee led by former Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari.

In a related development, the member representing Mashi/Dutsi Federal Constituency, Hon. Salisu Yusuf Majigiri, has returned unopposed as the APC candidate for the 2027 general election.

Speaking with journalists shortly after the exercise, the lawmaker described the development as an “extraordinary success” and thanked party officials, stakeholders and supporters for the confidence reposed in him.

The lawmaker said his commitment to understanding the challenges facing constituents and working towards solutions has remained a major part of his representation at the National Assembly.

Highlighting some of his achievements, the federal lawmaker disclosed that he sponsored a bill seeking the establishment of Federal College of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashi.

He explained that the bill had successfully passed first, second and third readings at the House of Representatives and is currently before the Senate for concurrence.

He expressed optimism that the proposed institution would soon receive legislative approval and presidential assent, describing it as a major intervention aimed at advancing healthcare in the state.