Bomba Dauda
Former Senator Danjuma Laah has intensified his bid to return to the Senate in 2027, with emerging reports suggesting that he is working to prevent a repeat of his 2023 primary defeat. Laah, who lost the 2023 PDP primary to the current senator while still a sitting federal lawmaker, is said to be mobilising political forces ahead of the next election cycle.
Sources within the political circle reveal that Laah has entered into a strategic alliance with Rep. Amos Gwamna Magaji (AGM) and other stakeholders in a bid to stop Senator Sunday Marshall Katung (SMK) from securing the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for Kaduna South in 2027.
Observers say the development reflects Laah’s growing concern over SMK’s rising political influence. Analysts note that the emerging coalition is built on the belief that a united front may succeed where individual efforts previously fell short.
Both Laah and Magaji are believed to have lingering political grievances against SMK. However, the incumbent senator appears unbothered, maintaining a calm disposition and showing no interest in engaging in political hostilities.
The roots of the tension stretch back to 2019, when SMK defeated Magaji in the PDP House of Representatives primaries for the Jaba–Zangon Kataf Federal Constituency. But, when the then, PDP governorship candidate Isa Ashiru Kudan selected SMK as his running mate, SMK relinquished his House of Representatives ticket. Against the expectations of party stakeholders and despite guidelines requiring a fresh primary, SMK insisted that Magaji, as the runner-up, should be given the ticket, an uncommon gesture that drew surprise within the party. Where exactly SMK and AGM relationship turns acidic, observers say, remains a mystery.
Meanwhile, Senator SMK has reiterated that his priority remains delivering quality representation to Nigeria and, particularly, to Southern Kaduna. He emphasised that “this is not the time for politics and I cannot be distracted, as I am busy delivering quality, responsible, and responsive representation to the good people of Southern Kaduna in the Red Chamber.”
The senator further stated that Southern Kaduna voters are politically mature and capable of discerning which candidate is best suited to represent them, adding that every aspirant will ultimately have to rely on their record of service.
