​– Dangote likely to support one of them

— Splash out N130m to commence women empowerment in the state.

As 2019 general elections  approaches with politicians from across all political parties scheming albeit, clandestinely on how to secure victory at the polls, in Nasarawa state the governorship slot  is increasingly narrowing  between two political gladiators; one from Nasarawa West and the other from Nasarawa North.

Nasarawa Eye findings revealed that with Alhaij Aliko Dangaote’s huge investment in the state, tendency is high that he (Dangote) might develop a serious interest on who occupies Shendam Road Government

House in 2019 so as to ensure security of his investment and its sustainability in the state.

A source who volunteered to speak to Nasarawa Eye  on condition that his name must not be mentioned, hinted that no businessman  will invest  colossal amounts of money in a state and not be seriously interested in the politics of such state. He explained “The money which Dangote is investing in Nasarawa state is almost ten times  the annual budget of Nasarawa state; naturally you cannot expect him to take a passive stance in the politics of the Nasarawa state”.

Our source further stressed one of the two political gladiators in Nasarawa state, one may likely secure Dangote’s support. The gladiators are: Engineer A. A Sule, and Hon Ahmed Wadada.

Engineer A.A Sule is currently the Managing Director of Dangote Sugar company and an active participant in Nasarawa politics. He once contested for the governorship position but failed in 2011. Since then, he has been visible in all political events in the state.

But some political observers in the state maintain that Engineer A.A Sule is more of a technocrat than a politician. This not withstanding, “all necessary ingredients which a full-blown politician is expected to possess Engineer A. A Sule possesses them as such he can be a sellable material” our source added.

 Hon. Ahmed Wadada on the other hand, is a thorough breed politician. 

Since 1999, he has thrown all his weight into partisan politics in Nasarawa state. His sojourn at the National Assembly as member representing Karu, Keffi, Kokona Federal Constituency exposed him to all who matter in politics and business in Nigeria. He contested for Nasarawa West senatorial seat in 2015 but lost in controversial circumstance to Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, the first civilian governor of Nasarawa state.

Nasarawa Eye gathered that Hon. Wadada got to know and developed friendship with Dangote when he (Wadada) was the Chairman of the House Committee on capital market.

Though elections in Nigeria is full of surprises and one can hardly say where the pendulum will swing,  there is every likely hood that Aliko Dangote will support one of them for the 2019 election in Nasarawa state. On the whole, our source noted “Certainly Dangote will take more than a passive interest on who becomes the governor of Nasarawa state for his strategic business interest in the state.

To show his resolve to partake in politics of Nasarawa state, Nasarawa Eye gathered that just some weeks ago, Dangote pumped in N130m to commence empowerment of women in the state.Our investigation revealed that each of the 13 local government councils in the state will go with N10m.

As at the time of filing this report, Nasarawa Eye was unable to confirm how the monsey would be shared amongst women, but our source revealed that the N10 million already earmarked was just a tip of the iceberg as more was going to be doled out.