THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the list of governorship candidates cleared to contest the Nasarawa State governorship election, with former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, conspicuously absent from the list.
News Point Nigeria reports that the commission published the names of candidates and their respective political parties cleared to participate in the governorship poll in the state.
According to the list, the candidates are Ahmed Aliyu Wadada of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Musa Adamu Angbazo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP); Dahiru Musa Doma of the Action People’s Party (APP); Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi of the Labour Party (LP); Retired Major General Nuhu Angbazo of the African Democratic Congress (ADC); Emmanuel David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); and Ibrahim Kasimu Aboh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Others on the list are Christopher Mamman of the Action Democratic Party (ADP); Abdullahi Omame Abisabo of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP); Abubakar Abdu Giza of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP); Mohammed Awwal Suleiman of the Allied People’s Movement (APM); Abdullah Bukhari of the Action Alliance (AA); Kigbu John Tanko of the Young Progressives Party (YPP); Dogo Danladi Shammah of the Nigeria Democratic Congress Party (NDC); and Shuaibu Umaru Kubi of Accord.
However, the Campaign Director General of the Ex-IGP’s Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation, Abdullahi Yammani, has disputed the apparent exclusion of Adamu, confirming that the former police chief has registered with the SDP and will contest the election.
Yammani, in an interview in Lafia, said Adamu completed his registration online with the SDP after resigning his membership of the APC, where he lost the party’s governorship primary.
“The Ex-IGP, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, has officially registered with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), online. He is fully in the race and ready to contest the governorship of Nasarawa State,” Yammani stated.
According to him, the decision followed wide-ranging consultations with stakeholders across the 13 local government areas of Nasarawa State.
Yammani added that the former police boss would bring his experience in security and governance to bear in tackling the challenges confronting the state if elected.
The confirmation has, however, raised questions over the discrepancy between the campaign organisation’s position and the candidate list published by INEC, which currently names “Musa Adamu Angbazo” as the SDP candidate.
Yammani expressed optimism that the issue would be resolved, insisting that the campaign organisation possesses all the necessary documents to establish the Ex-IGP’s registration and candidacy under the SDP.
The development is expected to generate further political discourse in Nasarawa State as political parties intensify preparations for the governorship election.
It also raises the possibility of a substitution or replacement of candidates within the timeframe provided by INEC, depending on the resolution of the dispute and the applicable electoral procedures.