By Ali Abare
Governor Abdullahi Sule has written off the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a viable opposition political party in Nasarawa State ahead of the 2027 general election.
Governor Sule made this known during the grand finale of the All Progressives Congress (APC) zonal rallies ahead of the November 2 local government elections in Lafia on Thursday.
According to the Governor, by refusing to participate in the Saturday’s local government election, the PDP has lost the opportunity to make any inroads towards the 2027 general election as the APC is set to clear all the 13 local government areas and 147 positions for the chairmanship and councillorship seats.
“Without a chairman or councilor, PDP has already lost the 2027 governorship election,” he stated.
He explained that the PDP was cowed into submission through the tremendous achievements recorded by his administration in terms of delivering much needed dividends of democracy to the people of the state.
Governor Sule pointed out that, even though the PDP was engulfed in internal crisis, the real reason why the party is not participating in the election is because the party has nothing to show for all the years that it was in power.
“It took the coming of our administration to build the roads, schools, markets and hospitals even in their domains. They have nothing to tell the people,” he said.
He expressed optimism that come 2027, the APC will clear all the available elective positions in the state including the governorship and all the 3 senatorial, 5 House of Representatives, 13 chairmanship and 147 councillorship seats.
Speaking on the recent party primaries that produced the chairmanship and councillorship candidates of the APC, the Governor expressed confidence that the consensus arrangement used in selecting the candidates has further united members of the party.
“I believe very strongly that the consensus arrangement in selecting our candidates has brought us together. I have seen people who otherwise do not agree because of political differences coming together. I saw that in Awe, Obi, Lafia, Nasarawa Eggon, Keffi, and Akwanga. Only yesterday in Akwanga, I saw Hon. Kwanta Yakubu accepting to be the Joseph of America and accepting to fight no more and forever,” he stated.
While appreciating the leadership of the party and stakeholders for the successful conduct of the primaries, he particularly commended his immediate past predecessor and Chairman of the primary election in Nasarawa South, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-makura for his commitment, sacrifice and leadership towards the success of the exercise.
The Governor equally commended the aspirants of the party for their hard work and for accepting the decision of the stakeholders of the party.
He reiterated that the APC would refund the five million naira and one a half million naira registration fees to all the chairmanship and councillorship aspirants that lost out during the primaries, considering the prevailing economic challenges in the country.
The Governor also appreciated the capacity of the chairmanship candidates of the APC, stressing that these are people of proven capacity who will deliver on the manifesto of the party at the grassroots.
Governor Sule urged members and supporters of the APC to turn out enmasse to vote the candidates of the party on Saturday.
In his address, immediate past governor of the state, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-makura, thanked Governor Sule for his vision and commitment towards ensuring that the APC gets rooted in Nasarawa State.
Senator Al-makura equally commended his successor over the successes recorded in the party.
“I believe that can not be without your patience, your sincerity, your commitment and your all-embracing attitude in carrying everybody along. The exercise of bringing out candidates that will contest for this election has not been easy. But your disposition as a democrat, as somebody that carries everyone along, as someone that always exhausts every avenue for consultation, you have made this exercise very credible and rewarding,” he said.
Al-makura was confident that the successes recorded during the party’s primaries will give the APC total victory in the Saturday elections.
He equally commended the people of the state for their sense of followership, loyalty, believe and faithfulness in the administration of Governor Sule.
On his part, Nasarawa State Chairman of the APC, Dr. Aliyu Bello, described the consensus arrangement used in bringing out the party’s candidates as all-embracing, despite that some aspirants may have felt aggrieved.
Dr. Bello said as the state chairman of the party, he takes responsibility for any shortcomings encountered during the primaries, urging aggrieved aspirants to sheath their swords and to work to deliver the party on Saturday.