The 2027 Nasarawa State governorship race has taken another twist following the release of the list of candidates cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest the election.
Notably absent from the list is former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, despite claims by his campaign organisation that he has joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and remains in the race.
INEC on Saturday, August 29, released the names of the governorship candidates and the political parties under which they are expected to contest the 2027 governorship election in the state.
INEC Lists 15 Governorship Candidates
Naija News reports that the electoral body listed Ahmed Aliyu Wadada of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Musa Adamu Angbazo of the SDP, Dahiru Musa Doma of the Action People’s Party (APP), Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi of the Labour Party (LP) and retired Major General Nuhu Angbazo of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Also on the list are Emmanuel David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Ibrahim Kasimu Aboh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Others include Christopher Mamman of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Abdullahi Omame Abisabo of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Abubakar Abdu Giza of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Mohammed Awwal Suleiman of the Allied People’s Movement (APM).
The remaining candidates are Abdullah Bukhari of the Action Alliance (AA), Kigbu John Tanko of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Dogo Danladi Shammah of the Nigeria Democratic Congress Party (NDC) and Shuaibu Umaru Kubi of Accord.
Despite his absence from the INEC list, the Campaign Director General of the former IGP’s Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation, Abdullahi Yammani, said Adamu has formally registered with the SDP.
Yammani disclosed this in an interview with Daily Trust in Lafia, explaining that the former police boss completed his registration online after resigning from the APC.
Adamu had contested the APC governorship primary but failed to secure the party’s ticket.
“The Ex-IGP, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, has officially registered with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), online. He is fully in the race and ready to contest the governorship of Nasarawa State,” Yammani said.
According to him, Adamu’s decision to join the SDP followed consultations with political stakeholders across the 13 local government areas of Nasarawa State.
Yammani added that the former police chief intends to deploy his experience in security and governance towards tackling some of the challenges confronting the state if elected.
The development has, however, sparked controversy following the appearance of Musa Adamu Angbazo as the SDP candidate on INEC’s published list.
Yammani, however, expressed confidence that the discrepancy would be resolved, insisting that the campaign organisation has documents to support Adamu’s claim of registration and candidacy under the SDP.
