The battle for the governorship primaries in Nasarawa State will focus on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) which has 11 aspirants. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has five and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) one hopeful. The drama is more pronounced in APC as Governor Tanko Al-Makura has drawn a battle line with former Governor Abdullahi Adamu. Eleven aspirants have picked APC nomination forms ahead of the September 29 primary election.
Those angling for APC ticket
Ahmed Wadada Aliyu
He is a two-term member of the House of Representatives (Keffi/Karu/Kokona Federal Constituency), a retired banker, business mogul, philanthropist, proprietor of Keffi Polo Field and tournament and seasoned politician. He contested for Nasarawa West senatorial seat in 2015 election under PDP.
Wadada defected from PDP three years ago and was able to win the hearts of party leaders, supporters and stakeholders.
Silas Ali Agara
He is the incumbent deputy governor, an economist by profession and a seasoned politician who served in three civilian governments in different capacities. He had served as Commissioner for Youth and Sports during Governor Abdullahi Adamu’s tenure; and Commissioner of Economic Planning under late Aliyu Akwe-Doma’s administration. He served as SA Special Duties during the first term of Al-Makura, and is now rounding up as deputy governor.
He is described as the most loyal deputy governor though this did not win him the sympathy of his principal because there are strong indications he will not get the ticket.
Despite this development, Agara has remained calm and continued to pursue his aspiration, remaining one of the popular aspirants within the APC.
Arc. Muhammed Jafaru Ibrahim
He is the member representing Nasarawa/Toto Federal Constituency in the National Assembly. A former Director at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), he joined active politics in 2016 when he contested and won election into the House of Representatives.
Jafaru is alleged to be backed by Senator Abdullahi Adamu and is also among the popular aspirants in the APC with the financial muscles that is threatening the aspirant anointed by Governor Al-Makura.
Engr. Abdullahi Sule
All eyes are on him because he is reportedly the preferred choice of the governor. He is the Group Managing Director of Dangote Sugar Company.
When his name came to the fore, it unveiled the time bomb threatening the party chances in the 2019 general elections because Senator Abdullahi Adamu, seen as the father of Nasarawa politics among other notable personalities, has surreptitiously kicked against the move.
Besides threatening his Senate seat over his actions, Al-Makura has also set a motion towards probing Senator Adamu’s tenure, including concession of hotels and a dam project. But the former governor had already fired back, saying records of his performance when he served as governor in Nasarawa are glaring.
On the issue of hotels, Senator Adamu said, “I believe the great value addition that we’ve done to the hotel made successive governments in our state, including Umaru’s which is due to leave office in a few months, to allow us to continue as concessionaires in the hotel. I think the fact that Pan-Afric Resources has complied with the terms of the lease agreement and has turned the abandoned property to what it is now, appears to have become a source of jealousy for Governor Al-Makura, who has now turned into a hotelier since becoming governor.
And on the dam construction, the senator said the project had reached 60 per cent when he left office. “It’s in view of the viability of that project that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources has now taken over not only with the intention of completing the proposed 20MW power component, but is also considering the possibility of incorporating other components like irrigation and water supply.”
Nonetheless, the endorsement of Sule by Al-Makura was greeted with stiff resistance and the move also stirred a turbulent reaction.
Other aspirants are perfecting a plan to rally round one of the popular aspirants to contest against Sule in another platform.
Sule is also said to be backed by his principal, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
Danladi Halilu Envunlanza
Envunlanza is a retired Executive Secretary of the National Judicial Council. The legal luminary recently joined partisan politics in Nasarawa State. He is alleged to be backed by some forces outside the state while, in the state, he is widely seen as the choice of some senior traditional rulers.
Arch. Shehu Ahmed Tukur
He is an architect by profession and widely acclaimed a close ally of Al-Makura and also the state chief project consultant. He is alleged to be one of Al-Makura’s boys testing the ground for his boss. Until recently, he was seen as a likely successor of the outgoing governor.
Muhammed Musa Maikaya
Maikaya is a geologist by profession working with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC). He is a new face in Nasarawa’s political terrain, and alleged to be among those being sponsored by Al-Makura to spoil the chances of aspirants from the western part of the state, especially Jafaru who comes from the same LGA with Maikaya.
Alhaji Zakari Idde
Idde is the immediate past APC North Central Zonal vice chairman; a seasoned politician and former member of the state assembly who served for two terms. He is alleged to be sponsored by Senate President Bukola Saraki and is believed to be among aspirants giving the incumbent governor sleepiness nights and might put a strong challenge in the primaries.
Hassan Liman
A legal luminary who joined partisan politics recently and also picked the APC nomination form, Liman is alleged to be a serial aspirant in the race for APC nomination. It is alleged that he might have been deployed by the incumbent governor because he is the only aspirant contesting the governorship ticket from the Southern senatorial zone.
Dr. Dauda Shuaibu Kighbu
A retired Federal Permanent Secretary, Kighbu is being described a gentleman who recently joined partisan politics. He is widely alleged to be one of Al-Makura’s cronies.
Dr. James Angbazu
Prince Angbazu (Dan Galadima Eggon) is a medical doctor, businessman, politician and son of the current Aren Eggon. He is alleged to be among Al-Makura’s boys to confuse aspirants from the northern part of the state.
The drama in PDP
The atmosphere in the opposition PDP is also not calm over moves by the leadership of the party in the state to pick its governorship candidate through consensus.
Senator Solomon Ewuga
Ewuga is seen as the old horse within the PDP aspirants. The move to give him automatic ticket met a brick wall when other aspirants and stakeholders vehemently rejected the plan for consensus candidacy.
Senator Philip Aruwa Gyunka
He is a former member of the state house assembly and incumbent senator representing Nasarawa North. He is believed to be the most popular aspirant within the PDP fold.
Dameshi Barau Luka
A former deputy governor of the state, Luka is a seasoned politician from the northern part of the state. Many see him as a serial aspirant who can hardly secure the PDP ticket.
Other contenders in PDP are Senator Patricia Akwanshiki and Emmanuel David; while Labaran Maku is the lone aspirant in APGA.
