September 07, (THEWILL) — Against the run of play, former Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, on Saturday emerged as the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Nasarawa State, exactly one week after his campaign organisation publicly protested against the publication of Mr Musa Angbazo as the candidate of the party in the state.
Adhering to its timetable for the 2027 general poll, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Wednesday, August 30, 2026, released details of governorship and assembly candidates for the February 6, 2027 election. For Nasarawa State, INEC listed Angbazo as the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate for the 2027 Nasarawa State Governorship Election.nn
But the campaign organisation of former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, protested against Angbazo’s candidacy and maintained that the retired police chief was the authentic SDP candidate.
The development came on the heels of Mr Adamu’s defection from the APC to the SDP after losing the governorship primary of the latter on May 21 and 22, 2026.
Abdullahi Yammani, Director-General of Mr Adamu’s campaign organisation, told a national newspaper in Lafia that the former IGP completed his registration with the SDP online after resigning from the APC.
He said, “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.”
Mr Adamu’s decision, he maintained, followed consultations with stakeholders across the state’s 13 local government areas, and he wondered how he was the preferred candidate of the party in the state.
Mr Yammani said, “The campaign organisation had documents to support Mr Adamu’s registration and candidacy and expressed confidence that the discrepancy would be resolved.
Yesterday, the party organised a fresh primary in Lafia, the state capital. The mission was to replace Mr Musa Angbaso, who withdrew from the governorship race. Thus, Adamu became the sole candidate.
Declaring the result, Mr Joseph Achile, Chairman of the Electoral Committee, said Adamu, who was the sole candidate, polled 28,637 votes from delegates across the 13 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, which monitored the party primary.
Achile said that, having met the requirements of the party’s constitution and scored the highest number of votes, Adamu was declared the winner and returned as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
“Having met the requirements of the party constitution and scored the highest number of votes, I hereby declare Adamu as the SDP governorship candidate for Nasarawa State,” Achile said.
In his acceptance speech, Adamu thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in him, promising to work tirelessly to address what he described as bad governance in the state.
The former I-G said that his administration, if elected, would prioritise basic infrastructure and social services across the state.
He said that his decision was informed by his assessment of the condition of roads and other infrastructure in the hinterlands during his visits to various parts of the state.
Adamu also promised to run an inclusive government with a focus on security, education, agriculture and job creation.
“Nasarawa State has great potential. My administration will prioritise the welfare of our people, strengthen security, and ensure that resources of the state are used for the benefit of all,” he said.
He urged members of the party to remain united ahead of the 2027 election, saying the SDP was poised to provide an alternative leadership in the state.
Also speaking, Prof. Sadiq Abubakar-Gombe, SDP National Chairman, congratulated the people of Nasarawa for having Adamu presented to them as the party’s governorship candidate.
Abubakar-Gombe said Adamu led the Nigeria Police Force with discipline, integrity and commitment to the rule of law, adding that his tenure as IGP made Nasarawa and Nigeria proud.
He urged the people of the state to vote for the SDP candidate in the 2027 election for what he described as total transformation and effective leadership.
The national chairman also urged Nigerians to vote for Prince Adewole Adebayo, the party’s presidential candidate, and other SDP candidates in the 2027 general election.
The reports that the congress was attended by national officers of the SDP, party elders, youth and women leaders, among others.
Adamu’s victory comes amid the recent Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, which struck down four key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, ruling that they are inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution.
The affected provisions are Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7), and 84(2), provisions dealing with party membership registers and how political parties select their candidates.
In a unanimous judgment in the case involving Zenith Party and INEC, the three-member panel led by Justice Balkisu Bello Aliyu overturned the earlier decision of the Federal High Court.
Justice Eberechi Nyesom-Wike, who delivered the judgment, stated that political parties cannot be subjected to statutory restrictions that interfere with powers guaranteed to them under the Constitution.
In other words, Section 77(5) of the Act restricting participation in primaries to members whose names appear on the register submitted to INEC was struck down.
Section 77(6), preventing parties from using a different membership register during primaries, congresses and conventions, was nullified.
Section 77(7), which could prevent a party from fielding candidates if it failed to submit its membership register within the stipulated period was also declared unconstitutional.
Section 84(2), which limited candidate nomination to direct primaries or consensus, was equally struck down.
Nonetheless, the Court of Appeal advised that political parties should retain greater discretion over their internal affairs, including the process through which they select candidates.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
