Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule has declared Sen Ahmed Wadada as his preferred candidate to succeed him as Governor of state in the 2027, describing Wadada as embodiment that guided his administration’s approach to governance and political inclusivity.
He made the declaration at a meeting with political appointees and heads of government agencies held at the Government House, Lafia, on Thursday.
Governor Sule explained that the choice of Wadada as the party’s most suitable choice followed wider consultation the final decision reached during rigorous process.
The Governor hinted that the process of identifying a successor had beeen on for over a year, involved wide consultations within and outside the state.
Sule disclosed that the consultations included discussions with foreign and prospective investors, youth groups, women organisations, traditional rulers, party officials and various stakeholders from across the state’s three senatorial zones, as well as selected members of his State Executive Council.
“We have to look for people who have the capacity to be able to win this election,” Sule said.
He hinted that three aspirants were frist considered being capable of winning, but the final decision favoured Sen Wadada after the conclusion of consultations.
He said that other aspirants from Nasarawa West Senatorial District had responded with commendable maturity, meeting among themselves and agreeing collectively to support whoever emerged as the preferred candidate.
Governor Sule said the aspirants from Nasarawa West had also raised the matter of equitable distribution of elective positions between the two federal constituencies that make up the zone, noting that since the governorship would go to one constituency, they were requesting that senatorial and other legislative positions be distributed to reflect the interests of the other constituency as well.
The Governor said he had no objection whatsoever to that request and gave his full support to the arrangement, urging his appointees to assist in working it out.
Sule who acknowledged his appointees, disclosed that some of them had privately supported various aspirants through the process, saying he understood this as human nature.
He however reminded them that the Muje Maha principle they had all professed demanded that personal preferences now be set aside in favour of collective support for Senator Wadada and all other APC candidates across every elective position.
“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,” the Governor said.
He added that the same principle of collective support must extend to the APC’s senatorial candidates, House of Representatives candidates and State House of Assembly candidates, stressing that all elective positions must be approached with the same level of unity and commitment.
The governor said that the choice of Senator Wadada was not considered as superiorio over the other aspirants, and cautioned his appointees against any temptation to mock or disparage those who were not choosen.
Sule said the decision was the product of a careful, multi-dimensional assessment and that any of the three shortlisted aspirants could have won the election.
He urged those who had supported other aspirants to switched their full support for the party’s preferred candidate without bitterness or division.
The Governor also spoke about the 2027 presidential election, expressing strong confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would record an impressive performance in Nasarawa State, adding that even those who were not favourably disposed to his own administration had expressed willingness to vote for the President.
