Shettima Urges Nasarawa Policy Continuity, Endorses Senator Wadada

In what could be described as an endorsement of Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada as the All Progressive Congress (APC) ‘s choice for Governor Abdullahi Sule’s successor, the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has called on him to sustain the ongoing transformation that has earned Nasarawa a pride of place among the country’s most developed states.

Speaking during the Nasarawa Investment Summit 2026 on Wednesday in Lafia, Shettima said that development must be transferred from one generation of leadership to the next without rupture, stressing that Wadada possesses the prerequisite qualification and background as a technocrat to continue the reforms that have made the state an investors’ destination.

“Policy continuity is the soul of investment, and the Liberia Declaration that has been signed is therefore an economic covenant, a public assurance that Nasarawa’s progress will outlive elections and endure beyond personalities.

“I want to assure the investing public that by the grace of God, seated in our midst here is the next governor of Nasarawa. He will abide by the contract,” he declared.

He said Wadadas’ experiences in the country’s economic ecosystem, including the banking sector, will help him in consolidating on Governor Sule’s reforms.

“So he knows what is needed, and he will continue from where Engineer A. A. Sule stops”, he noted.

Shettima praised Sule for understanding the dynamics of power, stressing that the governor had passed the test of power and emerged unspoilt by its allure.

“Abdullahi Sule is a good man. I’m certain that the people of Nasarawa will miss him. And by the grace of God, the replacement that you will get is also another technocrat in government,” he stated.

According to him, Sule’s passion for development aligned closely with the national direction set by reform-minded President Bola Tinubu.

“Across the Federation, we are laying the foundation for an economy (2:09) that rewards production, protects enterprise, and gives our states the room to become engines of growth,” he said.

He noted that under Tinubu, Nigeria had moved from the edge of a fiscal trap in 2023 to recording GDP growth of 3.87% in 2025, a fiscal deficit narrowed to 3.0% of GDP, and a balance of payments surplus of $6.83 billion. He said the net foreign exchange reserves have risen from $3.99 billion at the end of 2023 to over $46 billion in 2025.

Also speaking, Governor Sule said the 2026 summit represents a defining moment for the state’s economic trajectory, describing it as a strategic platform to consolidate on the existing gains and chart a pathway for the next phase of economic transformation.

He noted that the summit is designed to protect and embed reforms in durable institutions so that progress endures beyond individual administrations.

The summit, which is the third since the administration came into power, is themed: Shettima stated this at the 3rd edition of the Nasarawa Investment Summit 2026 held in Lafia, with the theme: “Bold Transition: Building a Legacy for a Sustainable Future.”