The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has met the Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, as the ruling party steps up efforts to strengthen its political base in Kano ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Yilwatda, accompanied by senior APC members and party leaders in Kano, visited Emir Sanusi at the Kofar Kudu Palace on Tuesday. The meeting was held behind closed doors and lasted several hours.

Although details of the discussions were not made public, a palace source said the meeting focused on the 2027 elections and the APC’s efforts to consolidate support across the state.

“The national leadership of the APC was here to solicit the palace’s support and endorsement of all APC candidates in Kano. They have realised the dynamics of Kano politics,” the source said.

The source said the party recognised Sanusi’s influence within the traditional institution and his reach among Kano residents, particularly at the grassroots.

“The APC recognises the influence of Emir Sanusi within the traditional council and the authority he commands at the grassroots in terms of mobilisation and sensitisation on the rights and dignity of the people of Kano,” the source added.

The source also linked the visit to Sanusi’s perceived political relevance, despite his removal from the throne by the previous APC-led administration.

“I want to believe that the APC is aware of the strength and capacity of the Emir of Kano during the last election, even with a sitting governor. So, the APC National Chairman and the leadership in the state are doing their very best to consolidate their strength through the palace,” the source said.

However, public affairs analyst Usman Usman dismissed suggestions that Yilwatda’s decision to meet Sanusi, rather than the 15th Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, amounted to a political miscalculation.

Usman said the visit should be viewed within the context of the APC’s efforts to expand its political networks in Kano, while questioning claims about the extent of Bayero’s electoral influence.

“Political influence is not measured merely by claims of popularity. If an individual is said to command a decisive electoral following, such influence should be demonstrated through observable political outcomes,” Usman said.

He cited the 2023 Kano governorship election, when Aminu Ado Bayero was widely associated with former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and the APC candidate, Nasiru Gawuna. Despite that association, the APC lost the election, including at the polling unit linked to the emir’s palace, before losing at the local government and state levels.