As the 2027 governorship race in Nasarawa State intensifies, fresh political realignments within the All Progressives Congress (APC) have dramatically altered the trajectory of the contest, reinforcing a growing consensus that the party’s most formidable opposition is not from without but within. Musa Baba Ogbeha writes.
With the formal purchase of the governorship nomination form by former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, and the subsequent withdrawal of Dr. Faisal Shuaibu from the race, the APC has entered a decisive and potentially volatile phase of its succession politics.
The developments have not only reshaped the field of aspirants but also sharpened ideological and strategic divisions within the party, particularly over zoning and power rotation in the state.
The emergence of Mohammed Abubakar Adamu into the governorship race has significantly altered the dynamics of the APC primaries.
Widely regarded as the arrowhead of the anti-zoning camp, Adamu’s aspiration is being interpreted by party insiders as a direct challenge to the long-standing informal zoning arrangements that have guided Nasarawa’s political balance.
His purchase of the form has energized a bloc within the party that insists that competence and statewide appeal and not zoning should determine the party’s flagbearer.
That position has found strong backing in influential quarters, most notably from a former Governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, who is seen as a key political ally of Adamu.
Al-Makura, the predecessor of the current Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has remained consistence about his opposition to zoning the most coveted seat in the state, contravening his very stance in 2019 that produced his predecessor. He has consistently argued that the APC must avoid what he describes as “rigid zoning interpretations” that could limit its electoral competitiveness and instead urging a broader, merit-driven contest.
Political observers say this alliance between Adamu and Al-Makura has effectively created a powerful internal bloc capable of reshaping the party’s primary structure and influencing delegate alignments across the state.
In a arallel development that has further tightened the race, Dr. Faisal Shuaibu has officially stepped down from the governorship contest.
Shuaibu’s withdrawal has been interpreted by analysts as a strategic recalibration within the APC, potentially consolidating votes and support structures around emerging power centers rather than fragmenting them among multiple aspirants.
Before his exit, Shuaibu had enjoyed significant grassroots backing, particularly in Nasarawa South and West, where youth groups and local stakeholders had repeatedly endorsed his candidacy, citing his technocratic profile and leadership record. But, the endorsement of Senator Aliyu Ahmed Wadada by the Governor as his preferred candidate, has forced other aspirants from Nasarawa West zone to reconsider their bids.
Before the withdrawal of Dr. Shuaibu, others who had also withdrew were Messrs Mohammed Maikaya, Mohammed and Arc. Shehu Tukur. The remaining notable aspirants from this zone are Engr. Mohammed Haruna and Barr. Tanimu Adabson, a development that has arguably reduced the contest for the APC ticket to a two horse race, namely, the Governor’s preferred aspirant, Sen. Wadada and anti –zoning poster boy, Adamu Dr Shuabu’s departure from the race has, without doubt, left a vacuum that is already being contested by rival blocs within the party.
The combined effect of Adamu’s entry and Shuaibu’s exit has intensified internal negotiations within the APC, as aspirants and stakeholders reposition ahead of the May 2026 direct primaries.
What was once a crowded field is now evolving into a more defined contest between competing visions, one anchored on zoning and rotation, and the other driven by open competition and statewide political calculation.
At the center of this ideological divide is Adamu’s growing influence, which has emboldened the anti-zoning camp and raised questions about the future of consensus-building within the party.
Ironically, these internal tensions are unfolding against the backdrop of a weak and fragmented opposition in the state.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) remain structurally limited and largely unable to mount a coordinated challenge to the APC’s dominance in the state.
Yet, rather than consolidating its advantage, the ruling party appears increasingly consumed by internal contradictions.
Political analysts argue that the Nasarawa situation reflects a broader pattern in dominant-party systems, where the absence of strong external competition shifts political rivalry inward, often with destabilizing consequences.
The open alignment of Umaru Tanko Al-Makura with Adamu has added a new layer of strategic depth to the contest.
As a former governor with deep political structures across the state, Al-Makura’s influence is expected to play a decisive role in shaping delegate preferences and elite consensus. His support for a non-zoning approach is widely seen as a major boost to Adamu’s camp, further polarizing the party’s internal landscape.
With the primaries drawing closer, the APC now faces a defining test of cohesion, discipline, and internal democracy. Stakeholders warn that failure to manage the emerging fault lines could trigger deeper fragmentation, regardless of the party’s dominant position in the state.
The contest is increasingly being framed not as APC versus the opposition, but APC versus itself, a scenario that could redefine the 2027 electoral outcome in Nasarawa. For now, the balance of power remains fluid, the alliances are shifting, and the stakes are rising.
But one reality that is becoming clearer by the day is that the APC’s greatest challenge in Nasarawa may not come from its rivals but from the political forces struggling for control within its own ranks.
