Nasarawa: PDP’s Wike bloc dumps party, backs APC’s 2027 candidates

By Musa Baba Adamu

The political landscape in Nasarawa State shifted on Thursday as members of the Nyesom Wike-aligned faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) officially defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring support for Governor Abdullahi Sule, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the governorship aspiration of Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada.
The defectors, led by Prince Abdullahi Attajiri, convener of the Muje Maha movement, visited Governor Sule at his Gudi country home, where they announced the collapse of their political structure into the APC.
Speaking on behalf of the group, former PDP National Ex-Officio and leader of the delegation, Hon. Mohammed Sani Keffi, said the decision followed consultations across the state’s three senatorial districts and reflected the confidence of thousands of members in Governor Sule’s leadership.
He attributed the defection to what he described as the Governor’s impressive infrastructure achievements, citing projects such as the Mararaba and Keffi flyovers, the Akwanga underpass and road networks in Lafia as evidence of transformative governance.
According to him, the movement extends beyond Keffi Local Government Area and covers all parts of Nasarawa State, adding that arrangements are underway for a grand reception to formally welcome Governor Sule, Senator Wadada and APC leaders to Keffi.
The former PDP chieftain also declared the group’s commitment to President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, expressing confidence that the APC would secure victory in Nasarawa State under Governor Sule’s leadership.
In the same vein, the group’s former Youth Leader said the defectors were determined to work for the success of all APC candidates in the 2027 general election, from the presidential candidate to governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly contestants.
He urged other political groups in the state to close ranks with Governor Sule, arguing that his administration’s performance had rendered partisan divisions unnecessary.
Responding, Governor Sule described the mass defection as another indication of the growing acceptance of the APC in Nasarawa State.
He reflected on his long-standing political relationship with many of the defectors, recalling their shared political history during the administrations of Senator Abdullahi Adamu and the late Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma before the state’s eventual alignment with the APC under former Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura and the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Governor thanked the former PDP members for identifying with his administration and for endorsing Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada’s governorship aspiration, describing the senator as a capable successor.
He assured the new APC members of equal treatment within the party and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sustaining peace, unity and development across Nasarawa State while expressing optimism that President Tinubu would emerge victorious in the state during the 2027 presidential election.