Fresh cracks have emerged within the Nasarawa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, following the public endorsement of Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada as the preferred successor to Governor Abdullahi Sule ahead of the 2027 governorship race.
What was expected to be a routine political alignment has instead triggered a wave of dissent and cold war among key stakeholders in the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Recall that Governor Sule had last Thursday declared the senator representing Nasarawa West, Wadada, as his preferred candidate for the governorship election in 2027.
The governor described the senator as the embodiment of the ‘Muje Maha’ spirit that has guided his administration’s approach to governance and political inclusivity.
“We have to look for people who have the capacity to be able to win this election. Now all the support, now all of us, if we are sincere about the so-called Muje Maha, now it is the period that Muje Maha is Wadada,” Governor Sule had said during the public endorsement.
This, however, did not go down well with some high-ranking members of the ruling party in the state, who believe his decision was hasty without proper consultation and due process.
Leading the pushback is former governor and influential party leader in the state, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, who has openly faulted both the timing and process of the endorsement.
According to him, he was neither consulted nor carried along before Wadada was presented at the Presidential Villa to Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“I was never consulted. This is an aberration. It is too hasty at a time when the party has not even released guidelines,” Al-Makura stated.
He further stressed that while the governor has a constitutional right to support a candidate, due process and stakeholder engagement must not be ignored.
“We do not have any problem with Wadada or any other aspirant, but let procedures unfold,” he said.
However, in a swift response, Governor Sule dismissed allegations of wrongdoing, insisting his actions align with established political traditions in the state.
Through his media aide, the governor maintained that:
“This is careful, deliberate leadership, not imposition.”
On presenting Wadada to the President Bola Tinubu, the governor argued it was both appropriate and necessary to keep the party’s national leader informed.
Similarly, a former Inspector General of Police, Abubakar Adamu, and one of the leading governorship aspirants, has said the endorsement of Wadada did not represent an election, as he vowed to contest the governorship and defeat the governor’s anointed candidate.
Adamu and others are eyeing the governorship on the platform of the APC, with the governor insisting that, to allow justice and equity, the governorship slot should be zoned to Nasarawa West, where Wadada hails from.
Despite the controversy, the Majority Caucus of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Danladi Jatau, has thrown its weight behind Wadada.
“We are fully supporting and backing Senator Wadada as Governor Sule’s successor, we will remain loyal to the party and the governor’s decision,” it said.
The lawmakers also appealed to other aspirants to rally behind Wadada in the interest of party unity.
Beyond the procedural dispute, questions are also being raised by stakeholders about Wadada’s preparedness for leadership.
A political analyst, Charles Agum, criticized the senator’s recent media outing, noting a lack of depth and issue-based engagement.
“Instead of focusing on solutions, he seemed more interested in attacking fellow aspirants. That exposed a worrying lack of readiness,” he stated.
Some aspirants also felt sidelined by the early endorsement, while others are weighing the possibility of open resistance during primaries.
Douglas Otaru, a former Nasarawa APC Publicity Secretary, warned that Governor Sule’s last-minute decision spells doom for the ruling party in Nasarawa State.
According to him, “I will say it again: I won’t stoop too low to criticize Governor Abdullahi Alhaji Sule. He has done well to the best of his conviction, but letting the party run on autopilot for this long has been his biggest mistake.
“Unfortunately, desperados in the party took advantage, hoodwinking him into believing all was well, defying voices of reason like mine.
“His bias, by presenting his friend, Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, as the preferred candidate, automatically disqualifies him from overseeing a fair primary. If he values his integrity, he should consider stepping aside to allow for free, fair, and credible primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.”
Beyond issues of process and consultation, the controversy has also revived long-standing debates around zoning and power rotation in Nasarawa State.
Historically, the governorship seat has rotated among the three senatorial districts since the return to democracy in 1999.
However, stakeholders point out that Nasarawa South has had an extended run, producing leaders like Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, who served for eight years and the late Aliyu Akwe Doma, who served for four years, bringing the zone’s total to twelve years.
Some political actors have argued that, for the sake of balance, Nasarawa South should be allowed to “complete” what they describe as the remaining four years of Doma’s tenure cycle.
However, this position is being challenged by a coalition of religious, political, and indigenous stakeholders, who insist that equity must go beyond senatorial zoning and consider federal constituencies that have yet to produce a governor.
The group strongly opposes the emergence of a candidate from the Keffi axis, noting that former governor Abdullahi Adamu already emerged from the same bloc.
In a joint statement led by Alhaji Ali Baba Nasarawa and Mallam Abdulrahman Sani Toto, the coalition argued that the Nasarawa/Toto Federal Constituency remains the only constituency yet to produce a governor since the state’s creation.
“It is unjustifiable to return the governorship ticket to the same federal constituency. Equity demands inclusion,” the group stated.
They further accused Governor Sule of undermining the zoning principle he previously advocated, warning that such a move could deepen political divisions and trigger electoral backlash.
The coalition also called for a more transparent and inclusive process, stating that any perceived imposition of candidates could weaken party cohesion ahead of the 2027 elections.
