2027: ‘It’s Too Early For Endorsement’, Al-Makura Tackles Nasarawa Governor

A former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, has faulted the announcement of a preferred governorship aspirant by incumbent Governor Abdullahi Sule ahead political party primaries, describing the action as hasty.

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Al-Makura, a former Senator representing Nasarawa South, made the observation when he received a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All ProgressivesCongress (APC), retired Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, in his residence in Lafia, the State capital.

LEADERSHIP reports that Governor Sule had a couple days ago announced the Senator representing Nasarawa West, Aliyu Ahmed Wadada, as his preferred governorship aspirant ahead of the party’s primaries and thereafter presented the lawmaker to President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Friday.

Al-Makura, who said he did not begrudge Governor Sule for supporting any aspirant, however, noted that it was too early in the day to come out in public with such pronouncement.

He said the electoral process is in stages, while urging contenders and party leaders to refrain from jumping the gun.

The former governor also faulted the incumbent governor for presenting his preferred aspirant to President Tinubu without allowing all the processes leading to the emergence of a governorship candidate of the party to be concluded.

He noted that while the governor has the constitutional right to pick a preferred person to support for the 2027 election, presenting such to the president was not right at this stage especially that the affected person is not the consensus choice of all stakeholders, and, therefore, not a candidate of the party yet.

He said the only one that will be a preferred candidate will be the one that the people have picked.

“I think it is a little too early that such a preferred candidate be taken to Mr. President at this early stage. What is the hurry? Let’s just wait and ensure that there is due process, complying with the guidelines of the party, buying the forms, filling them, conducting the primaries, and at the end of the day not only the governor but all of us will join the governor in introducing the candidate of APC that has emerged through democratic process,” Al-Makura said.

He said it was the responsibility of the stakeholders to collectively present the candidate of the party to the President, stressing that, that can only happen after the primaries.

Al-Makura said although Governor Sule was his political son, he was not consulted by the governor on the choice of preferred aspirant to support.

He promised that the party will ensure a free, fair and credible direct primary election for all governorship aspirants in the state.

The former governor said he was for all aspirants, while promising to ensure a level-playing field for everyone.

He stressed that all aspirants remained equal before the primaries. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m for all of them. I’m for IG, I’m for Nalaraba, I’m for Wadada, I’m for all the aspirants as a leader, as a former governor. They are equal.”