The political landscape in Nasarawa State, North-Central Nigeria is heating up, following Governor Abdullahi Sule’s official endorsement of Senator Aliyu Wadada as his preferred successor
The Governor’s move, presented directly to President Bola Tinubu, has unsettled the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, triggering a pushback from party heavyweights who warn against bypassing democratic due process.
What began as a quiet visit to the Presidential Villa on Friday has set the Nasarawa State APC on a collision course.
Governor Abdullahi Sule officially presented Senator Aliyu Wadada to President Tinubu, not just as an ally, but as his “preferred successor.”
The stakes were made clear by a post on the President’s official X handle, which explicitly labeled Wadada as the “APC Consensus Gubernatorial candidate” for Nasarawa State.
That “consensus” label, however, is not sitting well with the party’s old guard led by former Governor and party titan, Tanko Al-Makura, who is leading the call for caution. While he acknowledges Governor Sule’s right to back a candidate, he describes the move to the Villa as premature.
Al-Makura, who refers to Sule as his “political son,” insists that the party’s internal machinery must not be ignored.
He argues that the APC must allow for a transparent primary election where aspirants buy forms and compete, rather than having anointed aspirants before state-level consultations are even concluded.
Al-Makura isn’t the only one sounding the alarm. Former Inspector General of Police, IGP Abubakar Adamu, himself a top contender for the sea, is calling for a level playing field.
Adamu expressed concerns that the neutrality of party officials is being compromised. He warns that for the APC to remain credible in Nasarawa State, internal democracy must be more than just a slogan.
As the battle lines are drawn, the question remains whether Governor Sule’s Villa endorsement will hold, or whether the pushback from party elders will force a return to the drawing board.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
