Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, a former Inspector General of Police, has stated that there will be no zoning arrangements for the Nasarawa State governorship seat ahead of the 2027 election.
Adamu, who is running for governor on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has also stated that he is the candidate to beat in the state.
The former IGP is from Nasarawa South, while the current governor, Abdullahi Sule, is rumoured to prefer having his successor come from Nasarawa West.
According to Adamu, the state’s governorship candidate will not be chosen through a consensual process. He stated that the direct primaries option provides hopefuls with a level playing field.
He explained, “The electorate will be allowed to pick their candidate, unlike in the indirect primaries system where delegates could be influenced against a candidate.”
At a news conference in Abuja on Friday, Adamu reaffirmed that there is no such thing as zoning in Nasarawa, pointing out that the state has never zoned the governorship position since 1999, when democratic government was restored.
He went on to say that under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), and the current APC, zoning of the governorship seat has never worked.
Adamu stated that while the governor, in his wisdom, want to endorse someone from Nasarawa West, his zone, Nasarawa South, also believes it should be left open.
He stated that, while he does not expect any patronage from the governor, the electorate will decide who emerges in 2027. He stated that he has visited all 147 wards in the state and witnessed their challenges, and he has advised them to work together and focus on Nasarawa State.
He went on to say that they always manipulate through indirect primaries, and he was relieved that the threat had been eliminated and that no one could take his delegates and keep them somewhere and tell them to vote a specific way.
Adamu noted that consensus would never be reached in Nasarawa State if more than one individual expressed opposition, and that they will be attentive to ensure that the primaries are free and fair.
Speaking further, Adamu criticised the situation of the capital, Lafia, stating that it has not been given the priority it needs for a long time, and that it still appears to be a glorified local government headquarters, as past administrations did not prioritise the city as capital.