In a significant shift in the state’s political landscape, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has officially reversed his pledge to retire from public life, declaring his intention to run for the Senate in the 2027 general elections.
The 66-year-old Governor, currently serving his second and final term, had previously been adamant that his political journey would conclude at the Government House in Lafia. However, that stance changed on Friday afternoon when his administration confirmed he would seek to represent the Nasarawa North Senatorial District.
The Governor’s declaration stands in stark contrast to his categorical denials made just two years ago. During a January 2024 appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Sule invited viewers to hold him accountable to his word.
“I can tell you categorically that Abdullahi Sule would not go for Senate after leaving office…You can take it from me confidently…You can keep this tape and play it one day,” the Governor had stated.
At the time, Sule emphasized that he “only came in to be a governor” and held no aspirations for the National Assembly or the Presidency.
The announcement of the U-turn came via a social media post by the Governor’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Ango Ngharni Emmanuel. According to the statement, Sule “has accepted the clarion call” to remain in public service as a legislator.
The move follows weeks of mounting pressure from high-ranking members of the current administration, key figures within the ruling All Progressives Congress, and roups and persons of interest who have thrived under his leadership since 2019.
Governor Sule, born December 26, 1959, assumed office in 2019 after succeeding Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura. By entering the senatorial race, Sule joins a long-standing tradition of Nigerian governors seeking a seat in the Red Chamber immediately after their executive tenure.
His entry into the race is expected to reshape the power dynamics within the APC in Nasarawa North as the party prepares for the 2027 transition.
