No fewer than 19 governorship candidates have been listed to contest the 2027 governorship election in Sokoto State, according to the list displayed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at its office in the state on Saturday.

The development indicates that the 2027 governorship election in the state is shaping up to be a multi-party contest, with candidates emerging from various political parties.

The parties listed include the Action Alliance (AA), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), African Action Congress (AAC), Accord, Young Progressives Party (YPP), National Democratic Party (NDP), Labour Party (LP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Among the candidates on the list are Aliyu Shamsudeen Ahmad of the NDC, Abdullah Sokoto Abubakar of the PDP, Manir Muhammad Dan’Iya of the ADC and the incumbent governor, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, of the APC.

The emergence of the candidates has widened the political field in the state, with the major parties expected to intensify their mobilisation and campaign activities as the election draws closer.

However, the PDP’s candidacy has emerged amid the party’s lingering internal division, with Abdullah Sokoto Abubakar listed as the candidate of the faction associated with the Wike/Bature camp.

Reacting to the development, the Publicity Secretary of the PDP faction loyal to Turaki, Hassan Sahabi Sanyinnawal, said the faction was studying the situation and would announce its position at the appropriate time.

“We are studying the situation carefully and will make our position known to the public soon,” Sanyinnawal said.

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He urged party supporters to remain calm and refrain from taking any action that could further worsen the situation within the party.

“We urge all our supporters to remain calm and patient. There is no need for anybody to panic or take any action in haste,” he added.

The development is expected to heighten political activities in Sokoto as parties and their candidates begin to position themselves ahead of the 2027 poll.

With 19 candidates listed by INEC, the contest is expected to generate considerable political interest, particularly among the APC, PDP and ADC, which are likely to be among the major contenders for the governorship seat.