 In a cabinet reshuffle on 10 January 2007, Shagari was released to run for Governor of Sokoto State in the April 2007 elections, and his ministry was merged into the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources under Adamu Bello.Shagari was nominated by the People's Democratic Party (PDP) as its gubernatorial candidate for Sokoto State in the 2007 elections.He polled 2,701 votes while the two other contestants polled 447 and 431 votes.