The Social Democratic Party (SDP) campaign of former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, claims that a wave of defections from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the opposition party is creating concern within the ruling party in Nasarawa State ahead of the 2027 governorship election. Douglas Otaru, Director of Digital Media and Strategic Communications of the Adamu Campaign Council, made the claim while reacting to recent political developments.
Mr. Otaru said the movement of APC members to the SDP reflected growing dissatisfaction within the ruling party and claimed that the APC was increasingly concerned about Mr. Adamu's emergence as a major contender for the governorship. He stated that the APC was battling political hypertension while the SDP was calm and confident. Recent defections have demonstrated that more residents are beginning to consider the SDP as an alternative ahead of the 2027 election.
The former police chief was among the prominent APC governorship aspirants in the party's May primary, which produced Senator Ahmed Wadada as the gubernatorial candidate. Mr. Wadada secured 195,285 votes to win the primary, while Mr. Adamu came second with 39,675 votes and Professor Mohammed Sani Haruna scored 5,844 votes. Mr. Adamu subsequently resigned from the APC, rejecting the outcome of the primary and accusing the party of compromising its internal processes.
He later joined the SDP and emerged as the party's governorship candidate after a replacement primary in September following the withdrawal of Musa Angbazo. Mr. Adamu was the sole candidate in the replacement primary conducted across the state's 13 local government areas. His movement to the SDP has since altered the political calculations in the state, with the former IGP seeking to attract supporters from the ruling party ahead of the election.
Among prominent APC figures to have left the party is Mohammed Ari, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police and former APC senatorial aspirant for Nasarawa South. Mr. Ari announced his defection to the SDP in September, citing the need for greater inclusiveness, internal democracy, and accountability in political parties. Four members of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly have also been reported to have left the APC amid disagreements within the party.
The defections have added to concerns about whether the APC can maintain the unity of its political structure ahead of the governorship election. Mr. Adamu is also benefiting from the political network of former Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura, who backed his governorship ambition during the APC primary. Mr. Al-Makura publicly supported Mr. Adamu's bid for the APC ticket before the primary.
The contest is increasingly shaping up as a battle between Mr. Wadada's established APC structure and Mr. Adamu's attempt to assemble a coalition from disgruntled APC members, former political allies, and elements of Mr. Al-Makura's political network. The SDP campaign's claim of growing popularity for Mr. Adamu remains a political assertion, and there is no independent polling evidence establishing the size of his support across the state.
Key points
- Defections from APC to SDP intensify in Nasarawa State
- Mohammed Adamu builds campaign for 2027 governorship election
- APC and SDP engage in intense political battle ahead of election
