Sule, Al-Makura clash over Nasarawa APC guber ticket

Tension is mounting within the Nasarawa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of Thursday’s governorship primary, as rival camps loyal to Governor Abdullahi Sule and former governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura intensify the battle over the party’s ticket.

Governor Sule had reportedly endorsed Senator Aliyu Ahmed Wadada as his preferred governorship aspirant, a move strongly opposed by Al-Makura, who is backing Mohammed Adamu, a former Inspector-General of Police for the APC ticket.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to Sidi Bage (rtd), Emir of Lafia, Al-Makura rejected the idea of a preferred candidate, insisting that the APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had adopted direct primaries for all elective positions. According to him, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the party had adopted direct primaries in all positions contested in the party which gave every eligible member to contest any position he like”.

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The former governor urged party loyalists across the state to reject what he described as preferential treatment for any aspirant, stressing that the process must remain open and transparent. “No endorsement, no consensus, no preferential treatment on an aspirant,” Al-Makura declared, adding that party members should be allowed to freely choose their preferred candidate during the governorship primary.

Expressing confidence in the chances of the former police chief, Al-Makura said, “We want to assure you that by the special grace of God, IGP Adamu is going to come out in flying colours in the primary. But it must be said that those who preside over this exercise must ensure that it is in line with the Electoral Act, with the party guidelines, and every interested party must be part and parcel of the decision”.

He further described the visit to the Lafia Emirate as symbolic, noting that the palace represented Adamu’s ancestral home and the final stop in his consultation tour across the state.

“This is instructive because Lafia palace is the base of IGP Adamu. It is not a courtesy. It is an obligation for the son, after having seen virtually every leader, every emirate, every chief, every royalty, to come back home as the grand finale to brief his father about the successes and gains they have had in the entire campaign,” he said.

Also speaking, Adamu said he had consulted widely with APC stakeholders and traditional rulers across the state and was optimistic of victory in the primary election.

“We are very pleased to be received in the palace today. Our coming to the palace here today is the final trip that we will ever take to any palace,” he stated, while calling on party members to support his aspiration.

Responding, the Emir of Lafia offered fatherly blessings to the former IGP and prayed for his success in the contest.