By Musa Baba Adamu
Fresh cracks have emerged within the Nasarawa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 governorship race, as former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu Abubakar, alleges an underground push to tilt the party’s primaries.
Rather than focusing solely on the accusation itself, developments suggest a growing struggle for control of the party’s grassroots machinery.
According to Abubakar’s camp, ward executives across the state’s 147 wards are allegedly being mobilised to align behind a preferred aspirant, an approach they argue undermines the spirit of direct primaries earlier agreed upon by stakeholders.
Speaking through campaign official Isah Nathaniel in Lafia, the aspirant’s team described the situation as a calculated attempt to predetermine the outcome of the primaries.
They warned that such tactics, if left unchecked, could erode internal democracy and trigger wider discontent within party ranks.
The concerns come at a sensitive time, shortly after the state APC chairman, Aliyu Bello, publicly assured members of a level playing field.
While the leadership maintains that no aspirant will be shut out, and acknowledges Governor Abdullahi Sule’s right to back a candidate, the emerging narrative points to a trust deficit between key stakeholders.
Abubakar’s camp has escalated the matter beyond the state, calling on Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC’s national leadership to intervene, warning that the situation could spiral into internal crisis if not addressed promptly.
They also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to monitor developments closely.
With the opposition still relatively subdued in the state, analysts say the APC’s biggest challenge may come from within—particularly if disagreements over process and fairness continue to intensify in the lead-up to the primaries.
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