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The African Democratic Congress named Bello Ambarura, the House of Representatives member for Illela/Gwadabawa Federal Constituency, as its deputy governorship candidate for Sokoto State’s 2027 election, pairing him with governorship candidate Manir Muhammad Dan-Iya.
The party disclosed the nomination in a Monday statement signed by its Sokoto State Publicity Secretary, Lamir Aminu, who said the decision followed extensive internal consultations and was made in accordance with Section 187(1) of the 1999 Constitution, the provision governing the nomination of running mates for governorship elections in Nigeria.
“The nomination was made in accordance with Section 187(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), following wide consultations and careful consideration of the qualities required to build a strong, competent and people-oriented leadership team for Sokoto State,” Aminu said.
The party described Ambarura as a career public administrator who rose through the ranks of the Sokoto State Civil Service to become a Permanent Secretary before serving as Commissioner for Commerce and Industries. He was elected to the Sokoto State House of Assembly in 2019, where he served as Majority Leader until 2023, before winning election to the House of Representatives, where he currently represents Illela/Gwadabawa Federal Constituency.
Aminu said Ambarura’s background in both administration and legislative service would strengthen the ticket alongside Dan-Iya. “His extensive experience in public administration and legislative service will complement the vision and leadership of His Excellency, Hon. Manir Muhammad Dan-Iya, as the ADC presents a capable, credible and people-centred ticket for the 2027 governorship election,” he said.
The party congratulated Ambarura on the nomination and called on ADC members, supporters, and Sokoto State residents to rally behind the Dan-Iya/Ambarura ticket ahead of the 2027 election.
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Ambarura’s move from the National Assembly to a state-level running-mate slot places him in a familiar pattern in Nigerian politics, where sitting federal lawmakers step down from re-election bids to pursue state executive positions, calculations often shaped by term limits, shifting party alignments, or a candidate’s assessment of where their political base offers the strongest path to office. His transition from the Sokoto State House of Assembly, where he held a leadership post as Majority Leader, to the federal legislature and now to a gubernatorial ticket reflects a conventional trajectory through Nigeria’s tiered elective structure, from state assembly to National Assembly to statewide executive contention.
The ADC has positioned itself as an alternative to Nigeria’s two dominant parties, the All Progressives Congress and the People’s Democratic Party, in a number of states ahead of the 2027 general election cycle, part of a broader realignment among opposition figures and defectors from larger parties seeking new political platforms. Sokoto State, located in Nigeria’s northwest and long considered a PDP stronghold under previous administrations, has seen shifting party fortunes in recent election cycles as APC and other parties have made competitive inroads in the region.
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Dan-Iya’s own political background and prior public roles were not detailed in Monday’s statement, which focused primarily on introducing Ambarura as his running mate rather than outlining the ticket’s platform or policy priorities for the 2027 race.
No date has been set for the ADC’s formal campaign launch in Sokoto State, and the statement did not indicate whether Ambarura would resign his House of Representatives seat ahead of the 2027 election or continue serving through the remainder of his current legislative term while campaigning.
