From Umar Muhammed, Lafia
The race for the 2027 governorship election in Nasarawa State has taken a dramatic turn as former Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, openly rejected the endorsement of Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada by Governor Abdullahi Sule as his preferred successor.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lafia, Adamu-Abubakar dismissed the move as inconsequential to the democratic process, maintaining that the power to choose the next governor rests solely with the electorate and not with any individual or political authority.
“We are not deterred and we are not distracted. The people of Nasarawa State are the determining factors in this whole process,” he declared.
The former police chief also raised concerns over what he described as subtle attempts to impose a candidate ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries. He alleged that some government officials and party executives were being pressured to align with the governor’s preference, warning that such actions could undermine internal democracy.
Adamu stressed the need for party leaders to remain neutral and uphold the integrity of the electoral process, insisting that all aspirants must be given a level playing field in accordance with party guidelines and electoral laws.
The controversy has sparked mixed reactions across Nasarawa State, exposing emerging cracks within the APC as political stakeholders debate the propriety and timing of early endorsements.
Adding his voice, former governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura cautioned against what he described as a premature move that could erode democratic norms within the party.
While acknowledging the governor’s right to support any aspirant of his choice, Al-Makura argued that publicly presenting a preferred candidate before the completion of party processes sends the wrong signal.
“It is too early. Let the processes run their course—forms, primaries, and emergence of a candidate—before any endorsement,” he said.
The unfolding dispute follows Governor Sule’s recent public declaration of Wadada as his preferred successor, a move that gained further traction after the lawmaker was presented to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The development has heightened political activity in the state, with multiple aspirants now positioning themselves ahead of what is expected to be a keenly contested APC primary.
Observers say the disagreement signals the beginning of a broader power struggle within the ruling party, as influential figures seek to shape the succession narrative in one of North-Central Nigeria’s key states.
With nearly two years to the election, the insistence by Adamu that “voters—not political imposition—will determine the next governor” sets the tone for what could become a defining contest between party hierarchy and grassroots sentiment in Nasarawa’s 2027 race.
