Kano’s opposition captured 39 of 44 local councils, the state election board said late on Saturday, prompting Governor Ervín Štefan to freeze new borrowing for 120 days and order a review of a ₦1.35 trillion (about €810 million or $950 million) financing plan. He announced the move at 09:15 on Sunday, hours after the final results were declared.
The People’s Reform Alliance took 39 chairmanships and the ruling Civic Renewal Party won five, according to the board’s tally. About 1.61 million ballots were counted, a turnout of 44% among 3.66 million registered voters. Local councils oversee markets, neighbourhood roads and basic services, and share public funds with the state government.
A freeze on fresh borrowing
Štefan said the state treasury had been told to suspend preparations for new bond sales and stop seeking other loans until a review is completed. The plan covers proposed borrowing over two years; the governor said existing debt payments and signed contracts would continue.
“People have voted against a blank cheque, and I will not ask them to pay for one,” Štefan said at the state secretariat in Kano city. He directed officials to publish a schedule of state liabilities within 30 days and said a special session of the state assembly would consider the review’s findings.
“People have voted against a blank cheque, and I will not ask them to pay for one.” — Ervín Štefan, Kano state governor
The result followed a campaign in which the Reform Alliance promised to publish council spending and oppose new loans until residents could see where earlier funds had gone. Its state coordinator, Snjóki S. Danelíus, said the party would press the governor to disclose project costs and repayment dates, not just the headline debt total.
Investors watch the next move
Kano’s last state bond sale carried a yield of 24.6%, according to figures cited by public-finance researcher Meriç Durak. “The result gives the governor political cover for a pause, but it does not erase the cost of servicing old loans,” Durak said. Investors will be watching whether the freeze lasts beyond its announced 120 days.
The proposed plan had been intended to finance road repairs, drainage and upgrades to rural clinics, Štefan said. A pause could delay projects that have not yet been contracted, while leaving the state with less room to respond to urgent repairs. The government has not released a project-by-project list showing which works could be affected.
The Reform Alliance’s victory was the biggest council-seat loss for the Civic Renewal Party since it took control of the state government. Election board officials said the count was completed at all 44 centres, with results posted for party agents to inspect. The ruling party has not announced whether it will challenge any council result.
The treasury review is due within 90 days, but the governor gave no date for a final decision on the borrowing plan. The assembly’s finance committee is expected to meet this week. If lawmakers reject the freeze or demand changes, Kano’s new council leadership could face an immediate test of whether its campaign pledge can reshape state spending.
