An All Progressives Congress (APC) group, the Nasarawa State Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance Group (NS-TA&G2), has rejected Governor Abdullahi Sule’s endorsement of Senator Aliyu Wadada as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 general elections. 

Mr Sule had announced his endorsement of Mr Wadada as his preferred successor ahead of the 2027 elections during a meeting with political appointees at the government house in Lafia, Nasarawa State’s capital.

Last Friday, the governor presented Mr Wadada, an incumbent Senator representing Nasarawa West, to President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja, as his preferred governorship candidate. 

In a statement sent to Peoples Gazette on Tuesday, the NS-TA&G2 led by Lazarus Salaki, charged Mr Sule and the APC leadership in the state to exercise caution and avoid actions that could violate electoral guidelines ahead of APC primaries in the state.

“Governor Sule should have an introspective view of the whole scenario and revert to all aspirants and stakeholders alike for an amicable resolution,” Mr Salaki said.

The group noted that the governor ought not to have presented a preferred aspirant to the president, but rather present a candidate that would emerge through a transparent primary election.

The group also called for the resignation of the APC chairman in the state, Aliyu Bello, while accusing him of favouritism ahead of party primaries for the 2027 general elections.

It noted that the resignation of the incumbent APC chairman will ensure a transparent process during the party’s primaries in the state.

“We are calling on the Chairman to, as a matter of fact and urgency, step aside to allow for justice, fairness, equity and transparency in the selection process,” Mr Salaki noted. 

Mr Salaki stressed that Mr Bello’s “continued stay in office will erode public trust, lead to acrimony amongst party faithful and ultimately intimidate other eminently qualified aspirants from participating in the elections.”

He added that, in saner climes, when issues revolve around integrity, the occupant of such an office usually steps aside to ensure fairness and accountability.

 “It is a known fact that the state party chairman and the preferred aspirant, Aliyu Wadada, are very close friends, and this could be perceived by other aspirants as favouritism and being biased.”

The group said it is committed to ensuring equity, justice, good governance and obedience to the rule of law.

The Gazette had reported that Mr Sule met with Mr Wadada in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, earlier in March during Umrah, where he also met with presidential aspirant and former vice president Atiku Abubakar and discussed the 2027 election.

Mr Sule, who had previously ruled out vying for political office once he completes his second term as governor, has also declared his intention to contest the Senatorial election in 2027.