Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, on Thursday, unveiled Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada as his ‘anointed’ successor.
He described Wadada as the embodiment of the “Muje Maha” spirit that has defined his administration’s approach to governance and political inclusivity.
Senior Special Assistant the Governor on Media, Ali Abare, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
The statement said Governor Sule made the declaration during a meeting with political appointees and heads of government agencies at the Government House, Lafia, on Thursday.
He detailed the process that led to the choice of the Nasarawa West senator as the All Progressives Congress most suitable candidate.
The governor said the search for a successor, which had lasted over a year, involved wide consultations with foreign and prospective investors, youth groups, women organisations, traditional rulers, party officials and stakeholders across the state’s three senatorial zones, as well as select cabinet members.
“We have to look for people who have the capacity to be able to win this election,” Sule told the gathering.
The Governor explained that after exhaustive consultations, the field was narrowed to three aspirants deemed capable of winning, with further consultations conducted before a final decision was reached in favour of Senator Wadada.
Sule commended the maturity of aspirants from Nasarawa West Senatorial District, noting that they had met among themselves and collectively agreed to support whoever emerged as the preferred candidate.
The governor added that the aspirants had also requested equitable distribution of elective positions between the two federal constituencies in the zone.
With the governorship going to one constituency, they asked that senatorial and other legislative positions reflect the interests of the other.
Sule said he had no objection and gave his full support to the arrangement, urging appointees to help work it out.
Addressing his political appointees, the governor acknowledged that some had privately backed different aspirants, but reminded them that the “Muje Maha” principle required that personal preferences now be set aside for collective support for Wadada and all other APC candidates.
“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,” he said.
Sule stressed that the same unity must extend to the party’s senatorial, House of Representatives, and State Assembly candidates, adding that all elective positions must be approached with equal commitment.
He cautioned against mocking or disparaging aspirants who were not selected, noting that the choice was the product of a careful, multi-dimensional assessment and that any of the three shortlisted aspirants could have won. He urged supporters of other aspirants to transition into full support for the party’s choice without bitterness.
On the 2027 presidential election, the governor expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would record an impressive performance in Nasarawa, saying even those not favourably disposed to his administration had indicated willingness to vote for the president.
Reacting to Governor Abdullahi Sule’s endorsement of Wadada, Chairman of the IGP Adamu Campaign Committee on Counter and Mobilisation, Isa Nathaniel, said the development was not surprising.
Nathaniel said before Thursday’s meeting, the governor had organised a critical discussion in the party where two items were discussed: the issue of consensus and direct primaries. He said at the end of the day, the critical stakeholders of Nasarawa State adopted direct primaries.
He said, “It was agreed that whoever has anything to offer to the people of Nasarawa State, is a registered member of the party, and is free to contest elections. So it’s open.”
