There will be no zoning arrangement for the Nasarawa State governorship seat ahead of the 2027 election, a former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, has said.
Adamu, who is a governorship aspirant under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), also declared that he remains the candidate to beat in the state.
The former IGP hails from Nasarawa South, but the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Sule, is said to be inclined towards having his successor emerge from Nasarawa West.
According to Adamu, there would be no consensus arrangement in the selection of the governorship candidate in the state. He said the direct primaries option affords aspirants 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.”
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Adamu reiterated that there is nothing like zoning in Nasarawa, stressing that since 1999, when democratic rule returned, the state has never zoned the governorship seat.
He further explained that under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), and the incumbent APC, zoning of the governorship seat has never worked.
Adamu said that while the governor in his wisdom wants to support somebody from Nasarawa West, his zone, Nasarawa South, is also saying it should be left open.
He added that although he does not expect any patronage from the governor, the electorate will determine who emerges come 2027. He pointed out that he has gone to the 147 wards in the state and has seen their problems, and told them to work together and focus on Nasarawa State.
He further said that they always manipulate through indirect primaries, expressing delight that the threat has been removed and nobody can take his delegates and keep them somewhere and tell them to vote a certain way.
Adamu explained that consensus would never take place in Nasarawa State when more than one person have said they do not want it, assuring that they will be vigilant in order to make sure that the primaries are free and fair.
Speaking further, Adamu lamented the state of the capital, Lafia, noting that for a long time, it has not been given the priority it deserves, lamenting that it still looks like a glorified local government headquarters, as previous administrations did not prioritise the city as a capital.
