Gov Sule Endorses Senator Wadada as Preferred Successor

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has named Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada as his preferred successor ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The governor described Wadada, who represents Nasarawa West Senatorial District in the Senate, as the embodiment of the “Muje Maha” spirit that has defined his administration’s approach to governance and political inclusiveness.

The disclosure was made in a statement issued on Thursday by the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Ali Abare.

According to the statement, Sule made the declaration during a meeting with political appointees and heads of government agencies at the Government House in Lafia.

The governor explained that the search for a successor had lasted for over a year and involved extensive consultations with stakeholders, including investors, youth groups, women organisations, traditional rulers, party officials and other key actors across the state’s three senatorial zones.

Sule said the consultation process eventually narrowed the list of potential candidates to three aspirants considered capable of winning the election before a final decision was reached in favour of Wadada.

“We have to look for people who have the capacity to be able to win this election,” the governor said.

He commended the political maturity displayed by aspirants from Nasarawa West Senatorial District, noting that they had agreed among themselves to support whoever emerged as the preferred candidate.

The governor also revealed that the aspirants requested an equitable distribution of elective positions between the two federal constituencies in the zone. Under the arrangement, if the governorship seat goes to one constituency, other legislative positions would be allocated to the other.

Sule said he supported the proposal and urged political appointees to work towards its implementation.

Addressing his appointees, the governor acknowledged that some had privately supported different aspirants but urged them to put aside personal preferences and rally behind Wadada in line with the “Muje Maha” principle.

“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.

He also cautioned supporters against mocking aspirants who were not selected, stressing that the choice was the outcome of a careful assessment and that any of the shortlisted aspirants could have emerged victorious.

The governor further expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would perform strongly in Nasarawa State during the 2027 presidential election.

Meanwhile, reacting to the endorsement, Chairman of the IGP Adamu Campaign Committee on Counter and Mobilisation, Isa Nathaniel, said the development was not surprising.

Nathaniel noted that party stakeholders had earlier held a meeting where the issues of consensus and direct primaries were discussed, eventually adopting the direct primary system, which allows all registered party members to participate in choosing the candidate.