No Zoning In Nasarawa Governorship Election, Ex-IGP Adamu Declares

A former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, has said there is no zoning arrangement for the Nasarawa State governorship seat ahead of the 2027 election.

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. The incumbent governor, Abdullahi Sule, is said to be inclined towards having his successor emerge from Nasarawa West.

However, Adamu noted that there would be no consensus arrangement in the selection of the governorship candidate in the state, adding that the direct primaries option affords aspirants a level playing field.

He maintained that the electorate would 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, Adamu said, “There is nothing like zoning in Nasarawa,” stressing that since 1999, when democratic rule returned, the state has never zoned the governorship seat.

He recalled 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, “While the governor, in his wisdom, wants to support somebody from Nasarawa West—and he has a right to do so—my zone, Nasarawa South, is also saying it should be left open.”

He added that although he does not expect any patronage from the governor, it is ultimately the electorate that determines power.

“So I have gone to the 147 wards in the state and I have seen their problems, and I told them, let’s work together… Focus on Nasarawa State—nobody can beat me.”

He further said, “They manipulate through indirect primaries. That threat has been removed. Nobody can take my delegates and keep them somewhere and tell them to vote a certain way. Whoever came up with the idea of indirect primaries must have suffered before.

“Consensus will never take place in Nasarawa State when more than one person says they do not want it.”

He added, “We will be vigilant and keep our eyes open 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.

“Lafia still looks like a glorified local government headquarters. Previous administrations didn’t prioritise the city as a capital,” he said.

He, however, commended former Governor Tanko Al-Makura for laying the foundation for the current level of development in the capital.

“My priority is to see that the landscape of the town changes. I will create modern satellite settlements outside the city. I will turn it into an urbanised city,” he said.

Adamu also promised to bring his experience to bear in tackling the security situation in the state if elected governor. He pledged to create jobs for youths and women to address poverty, which he described as a major cause of insecurity.

He further said he would address herder-farmer and communal clashes by ensuring that people are held accountable for their actions.