Jerry Adams’ nomination ends speculation that Kaduna’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, in place since 2019, would continue into 2027
Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna, has picked Jerry Adams, the Executive Chairman of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS), as his running mate for the 2027 governorship election.
Sani announced the nomination in a statement issued on his X handle on Tuesday, describing it as a reaffirmation of his administration’s commitment to inclusion, justice, fairness and equitable governance since he assumed office on 29 May 2023.
Why Sani says Adams reflects Kaduna’s diversity
“Kaduna is a remarkable state, blessed with extraordinary diversity of faiths, ethnicities and cultures. That diversity is not a burden; it is our greatest strength,” he wrote.
“Our history has taught us difficult lessons about the high cost of division, mistrust and exclusion. Yet it has also shown us that when we choose dialogue over discord, inclusion over alienation, and justice over prejudice, our people achieve extraordinary things together. For more than three years, our administration has worked tirelessly to heal old wounds and restore confidence in government.”
Sani described Adams, a Christian from Southern Kaduna, as “an accomplished public servant, an outstanding tax administrator and an institution builder,” crediting his leadership with transforming KADIRS into one of Nigeria’s most respected revenue agencies through innovation, transparency and professionalism, strengthening the state’s fiscal capacity for investment in education, healthcare, infrastructure and agriculture.
“Beyond his impressive professional accomplishments, Jerry Adams is a man of integrity, humility and quiet strength. He has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to peace, reconciliation and inclusive governance, believing, as I do, that Kaduna’s diversity must always unite us rather than divide us,” Sani said.
The governor urged residents of Kaduna not to view Adams’ nomination through the “narrow prism of religion, ethnicity or geography.”
Why the pick ends years of Muslim-Muslim ticket speculation
The nomination marks the first time in seven years that the ruling All Progressives Congress has fielded a Christian as its deputy governorship candidate in Kaduna State, ending months of pressure from Southern Kaduna interest groups who had insisted the governor field a Christian deputy once incumbent Deputy Governor Hadiza Balarabe’s tenure expires in May 2027.
In 2019, Nasir el-Rufai, then governor of Kaduna, disrupted the state’s long-standing political tradition of a Muslim-Christian ticket by selecting Balarabe, a fellow Muslim, as his running mate.
The Muslim-Muslim ticket drew criticism from Christian groups and fuelled concerns about religious representation in a state with a long history of ethno-religious tensions. In February 2020, el-Rufai described his choice of Balarabe as his most daring decision, and the same Muslim-Muslim arrangement continued when Sani succeeded him in 2023.
Adams’ nomination effectively restores the Muslim-Christian balance to Kaduna’s ticket ahead of the 2027 election, in which Sani is expected to seek a second term as the APC’s governorship candidate.
