KEY POINTS

• Farouk Lawan lost his APC House of Reps primary in Kano to incumbent Yusuf Badau.
• His comeback follows a prison sentence for corruption and a 2025 presidential pardon restoring his eligibility.
• APC secured 20 consensus candidates in Kano, with most incumbents retaining their tickets peacefully.

Former House of Representatives member, Farouk Lawan, has failed in his bid to return to the National Assembly after losing the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Bagwai/Shanono Federal Constituency in Kano State.

Lawan was defeated by the incumbent lawmaker, Yusuf Badau, in a closely contested primary held as part of the party’s selection process for the 2027 general elections.

The outcome marks another setback in the political resurgence attempt of the former federal lawmaker, whose career was once among the most prominent in Nigeria’s legislative history.

Farouk Lawan was once widely known as a leading anti-corruption voice in the National Assembly, earning the nickname “Mr Integrity” for his role as chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on fuel subsidy investigations in 2012.

However, his public image collapsed following allegations that he solicited a $3 million bribe from oil businessman Femi Otedola to remove his companies from a list of firms indicted in the subsidy fraud probe.

The controversy escalated after video evidence surfaced showing Lawan receiving a $300,000 cash advance linked to the alleged bribe.

He was subsequently tried and convicted on corruption charges by a Federal Capital Territory High Court, which sentenced him to seven years imprisonment. On appeal, the sentence was reduced to five years after partial discharge of charges by the Court of Appeal, while the Supreme Court later upheld the conviction.

Lawan completed his prison term at the Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja and was released in October 2024.

Pardon Reopens Political Path

Although Section 107 of the Nigerian Constitution bars individuals convicted of criminal offences from contesting elections for 10 years, Lawan’s political prospects were revived in October 2025 when President Bola Tinubu granted him a presidential pardon.

The pardon, approved through the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy and the National Council of State, restored his eligibility to contest elections by nullifying the legal restrictions tied to his conviction.

The presidency said the decision was based on his “remorse and readiness for reintegration into society.”

The Kano APC primary process was largely conducted through consensus arrangements across constituencies, according to the party’s spokesperson, Auwalu Soja.

Soja said 20 federal constituencies agreed on consensus candidates, while only four constituencies proceeded to competitive primaries.

The arrangement largely favoured incumbent lawmakers, many of whom secured automatic return tickets.

Among those endorsed through consensus were House Leader Alhassan Doguwa, Abubakar Bichi, and Abdulmumin Jibrin.

Others who secured tickets include Hamisu Chidari, Mustapha Bala, and Sulaiman Ishaq, representing different constituencies across the state.

Soja described the exercise as peaceful, noting that the process was conducted without any security incidents or major disputes.