In what is rapidly evolving into one of the most intense lead-ups to the 2027 political season, the political climate in Nasarawa State has been shaken by a bold and unwavering position taken by Abubakar Hassan Nalaraba, the APC governorship aspirant and current member of the House of Representatives for the Awe, Keana, and Doma Federal Constituency. His message was clear, passionate, and unmistakable: the future of Nasarawa must not be constrained by zoning politics.
During a strategic meeting held at his campaign office in GRA Keffi, where local council coordinators and APC executives from the five local governments of Nasarawa West convened, Nalaraba delivered what many are now calling a political thunderbolt. He denounced the increasing calls to restrict the 2027 governorship seat solely to the Western Senatorial District, labeling the agitation as nothing more than “injustice wrapped in political manipulation.”
He asserted that leadership in a contemporary democracy should not be sold to the highest ethnic or sectional bidder but should be earned through competence, character, and capability. Nalaraba contended that the zoning currently being advocated by certain power blocs threatens to divide the state unnecessarily and deprives millions of citizens who seek authentic leadership rather than orchestrated rotation.
His statements did not emerge in isolation; they directly oppose the recent position of Governor Abdullahi Sule and other prominent APC stakeholders, who argue that it is Nasarawa West’s “turn” to produce the next governor. The insistence from the governor’s camp has been framed as a question of equity and fairness, yet critics like Nalaraba perceive it differently: as a meticulously planned effort to predetermine electoral results.
Nalaraba’s passionate declaration is already sending shockwaves through the political arena, empowering voices that have long murmured against zoning but lacked the resolve to openly confront the party’s upper echelons.
For numerous supporters, he has emerged as a symbol of resistance an individual prepared to challenge what he characterizes as a political culture that favors geography over performance.
His stance is also gaining popularity among younger voters and politically engaged citizens who feel restricted by the persistent narratives that have influenced Nasarawa politics for decades. They contend that zoning has become a convenient cover employed by elites to maintain their power while professing to safeguard “regional interests.”
However, proponents of zoning are responding with equal vigor. They assert that the principle is crucial for unity, claiming that power-sharing guarantees that no zone feels excluded. Governor Sule’s supporters argue that assigning the governorship to Nasarawa West is not only warranted but also overdue.
Nevertheless, Nalaraba argues that leadership cannot and must not be subjected to automatic rotation. The current times, he asserts, require strong visionaries rather than political placeholders.
As the 2027 elections approach, Nasarawa stands at a pivotal juncture:
Will competence prevail over convenience? Or will zoning persist in dictating the pace of the state’s politics?
One fact is indisputable Nalaraba has sparked a discussion that will influence the essence of Nasarawa’s political future. The lines of conflict are established, and the unfolding drama is just beginning.
