ABUJA – Barely three weeks before the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries scheduled for May 23, 2027, a party support group has expressed strong doubts about the ability of Nasarawa State officials to conduct a free and fair exercise.
The APC Integrity Forum, a coalition of party members, accused state officials of large-scale compromise and intimidation, questioning their capacity to oversee a credible electoral process. The group’s concerns come amid growing stakeholder anxiety over the fairness of the primaries, following the adoption of Senator Ahmed Wadada as Governor Abdullahi Sule’s preferred candidate.
In a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, the forum’s coordinator, Zamani Daniel, and secretary, Ibrahim Tukur, alleged that Governor Sule has placed party officials at the state, local government, and ward levels under intense pressure to align with his stance on the governorship race. According to the group, the plan is to use ward officials to authenticate prearranged results before voting even begins.
The Integrity Forum further claimed that Senator Wadada and Governor Sule have been holding clandestine meetings and boasting about purported instructions from President Bola Tinubu and businessman Gilbert Chagoury to deliver Wadada at all costs.
Given these circumstances, the group argued that state party officials lack the impartiality and moral standing required to conduct free, fair, and credible primaries. It called for external persons to be drafted to manage the process instead.
“We know Mr. President to be a true democrat and a believer in upholding the wishes of the majority,” the forum said in its statement. “We are alarmed that the primary election is already being rigged before it is conducted. We call on Mr. President, our national chairman, and all men of conscience to rise against this aberration.”
The group added: “Democracy is a game of numbers. Anyone who thinks he is popular enough should market himself to the people. Let Nasarawa citizens and party members choose freely who is best for them. With direct primaries now adopted by stakeholders, aspirants should market themselves to the people rather than working on how to write results.
