A political rift is widening within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nasarawa State following Governor Abdullahi Sule’s endorsement of Senator Aliyu Wadada as his preferred successor ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The development has pitched the governor against his predecessor, Umar Tanko Al-Makura, who criticised the move as premature and lacking adequate consultation.
Al-Makura, a key stakeholder in the state’s politics, said he only learnt about the endorsement through the media, expressing disappointment that he was not consulted.
He warned that such early pronouncements could undermine due process within the party.
“While it may be the governor’s personal decision, it is rather too early. The electoral process is in stages,” he told reporters.
He added that the APC had yet to commence the sale of nomination forms, stressing that endorsing a candidate at this stage amounts to “jumping the gun.”
The controversy deepened as former Inspector-General of Police, Muhammad Adamu, who is also vying for the APC ticket, rejected the endorsement.
Adamu maintained that the governor has only one vote and cannot impose a candidate on the party.
He vowed to challenge Wadada at the primaries, insisting that the process must remain open and competitive.
Governor Sule, through his media aide, defended the endorsement, arguing that it followed an established political tradition in the state.
He noted that Al-Makura himself had chosen him as successor while in office, adding that similar decisions had been made by previous leaders.
“Governor Sule is simply following that same tradition, only in a more open and transparent manner,” the statement read.
The governor’s camp also clarified that Wadada is only a “preferred aspirant” and not yet the party’s official candidate.
Responding to the controversy, Wadada called for calm and unity within the party, describing the contest as part of normal political processes.
He downplayed tensions with Adamu, referring to him as a respected elder.
“The game is on… if it is destined that we end up in contest, he will pray for his younger one to go ahead,” Wadada said.
Meanwhile, support is also growing for Adamu, particularly in Nasarawa South, where youths, women, and stakeholders have endorsed his ambition.
At a rally in Lafia, the group also declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Adamu assured supporters that he would remain in the race, rejecting what he described as “ongoing hypocrisy” in the political process.