Political bigwigs in Nasarawa State have started scheming and jostling for the state’s number one seat as the tenure of the incumbent governor, Engr Abdullahi Sule, elapses in 2027.
There have been alignments and realignments by politicians in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections. Observers believe that the next general elections will be an interesting political battle at all levels.
On 4th May, 2024, Governor Sule disclosed that no fewer than 20 aspirants had indicated interest to succeed him at the expiration of his tenure in 2027. The governor disclosed this in Lafia, the state capital, during the grand reception of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barr. Labaran Magaji. Though he didn’t mention names.
Daily Trust observes that top politicians in the state have intensified consultations across the state’s 13 local government areas and at the national level with the aim to clinch the governorship. However, Sule is yet to disclose his preferred candidate for the election.
Like others, Sule is expected to pick his anointed candidate out of the many contenders springing up for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket.
So far, some of the notable contenders across party lines are Senator Aliyu Wadada (SDP, Nasarawa West), the Accountant General of the state, Dr Musa Ahmed Mohammed, popularly called (Barade Nasarawa); former Minister of Environment, Barrister Muhammed-Hassan Abdullahi and former governorship candidate of PDP in the 2023 election, David Emmanuel Ombugadu.
Others are former head of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Prof. Mohammed Haruna; former Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Faisal Shuaibu; Shehu Tukur, an architect, Abu Giza, and Mohammad Maikaya.
Posters of some of the aspirants have already appeared in strategic locations within the Lafia metropolis and other major towns in the state.
Mohammed Abdullahi
In a dramatic move ahead of the 2027 elections, former Minister of Environment, Barrister Mohammed Abdullahi, a few days ago resigned his membership of the APC.
Abdullahi, who served under President Muhammadu Buhari, in a letter dated June 2, 2025 and addressed to the Chairman, APC Uke Ward in Karu Local Government Area of the state, said he resigned from the party for personal reasons.
In the letter titled, “Notice of membership resignation”, the former minister said, “I hereby tender my resignation as member of the APC based on personal reasons. I thank you for the cooperation while I was in the APC where we made modest contributions in building the party in the state.”
Abdullahi had served during the administration of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, as Secretary to the State Government (SSG). The former minister did not state his next political move in the letter, but analysts have linked his resignation to 2027 contest.
However, he was said to have found himself in the bad books of Governor Sule, hence his resignation from the APC. He is a politician from Nasarawa West. Findings revealed that he has since pitched tent with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Dr. Faisal Shuaib
He is a medical doctor, former Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
Dr Shuaib has a track record in public health. He played key roles in Nigeria’s successful battle against polio and COVID-19. He served as the Incident Manager/Head of the Nigeria Ebola Emergency Operation Center during the July – October 2014 outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease.
In addition to serving as a Senior Technical Adviser to the Minister of State for Health on Immunization and Polio Eradication, he was also the Chief Operations Officer/Deputy Incident Manager of the National Polio Emergency Operation Centre.
While he is yet to make any formal declaration for governorship,
his endorsements by international agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO), for his leadership and institution-building capacity have enhanced his reputation as a problem-solver.
Analysts believe his professional background could make him the consensus candidate, especially if Sule throws his weight behind him.
Aliyu Wadada
He is the senator representing Nasarawa West at the National Assembly on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He also served as member of the House of Representatives. He was a member of the APC before resigning from the party in 2022 following a disputed primary election.
Wadada had prior to the APC primary for Nasarawa West, complained of irregularities in the delegates list from Keffi and Nasarawa Local Government Areas. This made him to withdraw from the contest and consequently defected to the SDP where he got the ticket and later won the election.
He polled 96,488 votes to defeat the candidates of the APC Shehu Tukur who scored 47,717 and PDP’s Musa Galadima who got 46,820 votes.
The electoral victory of Wadada was recorded as one of the major political upsets in the 2023 general elections because Nasarawa West is where former national chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, hails from. Though Senator Wadada is yet to officially declare, his posters and body language have told the story.
Musa Ahmed Mohammed
He was two-time Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly. He is the current Accountant-General of the state. His journey began in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where he served for several years before resigning in 2007.
Mohammed contested the state House of Assembly election and won. He was later elected Speaker of the State House of Assembly where he served from 2007 to 2015.
Pundits say his understanding of governance, both as former speaker and accountant-general, has positioned him as a strong contender for the 2027 election.
David Emmanuel Ombugadu
He is a former member of the House of Representatives who represented Akwanga, Wamba and Nassarawa Eggon federal constituency from 2011 to 2019.
Ombugadu was also the governorship candidate of the PDP in the 2019 and 2023 general elections in the state. He challenged the results of the election in 2023 in court but Governor Sule defeated him at the Supreme Court.
Prof Mohammed Haruna
He is a former Head of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).
Prof Haruna has diverse working experiences that cut across industry, academia and government. He is said to be an ally of the APC former national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu. But analysts say he has no grassroots connection.
He is yet to formally declare for the state’s governorship, but he is seen by many as an intellectual that would shape the race. His body language and campaign posters have also appeared in some strategic locations in the state.
Arc. Shehu Ahmed Tukur
He has been active in politics. In 2019, he contested the governorship primary of the APC.
In the 2023 election, he was the APC senatorial candidate for Nasarawa West.
Tukur also served as the APC zonal Vice Chairman for Nasarawa West. He is said to be warming up to shape the 2027 governorship race.
Abubakar Abdul Giza
He is from Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State (Nasarawa South).
He has served as member and chairman of the sub-committees of campaign councils in the state at various times. He is a retired civil servant.
Mohammed Abubakar Adamu
He is a former Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP). He has already declared to run for the governorship of Nasarawa State come 2027.
He specialises in the area of security and has never contested or won any election before.
Agitation for power shift
Meanwhile, there are agitations for power to shift to the West amidst questions over zoning in the state. Analysts say zoning is one of the factors that would shape the 2027 governorship race in the state.
Daily Trust reports that though zoning is not recognised in the 1999 Constitution, it is often used by political parties to douse tension by ensuring power rotation among the various senatorial districts at the state level.
The questions of which zone produces Governor Sule’s successor and whether the zoning formula would count in the contest are generating heated debate among political actors and observers in the state.
With Nasarawa North bound to complete its eight-year tenure in 2027, political observers argue that it is now the turn of Nasarawa West to once again take a shot at the governorship. Recall that since Abdullahi Adamu left office as governor of the state 18 years ago, the West has never taken a shot at the governorship of the state.
Despite other factors that may shape the race, Governor Sule, the latest in the line of kingmakers in the state is expected to unmask his preferred candidate as the election approaches to succeed him, just like his predecessors did.
Recall that Adamu had endorsed the late Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma in 2007, while Senator Tanko Al-Makura endorsed Sule in 2019. Analysts say Sule’s decision will determine the future of the state, if his anointed candidate eventually wins.
However, opposition parties in the state are neck-deep in crises, a development that is threatening their chances at the 2027 poll. Pundits have warned that if they fail to resolve their internal wranglings to face the election as a united family, the APC would still win it.
Analysts have predicted that the election would be keenly contested with major parties in the state – APC, PDP, Labour Party – slugging it out. But many have argued that the PDP and LP are enmeshed in crises and would face serious hurdles in the bid to win the election.
