By Ali Abare

According to available records, heroes of democracy are individuals who have actively championed the principles of democratic governance, often facing significant obstacles and risks.

In this regards and as Nigeria commemorates this year’s Democracy Day, it is also in order to celebrate leaders whose governance embodies the ideals of accountability, transparency, and service.

Without belabouring the issue, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State stands tall as a leader whose six-year tenure has redefined democratic leadership. Rooted in humility yet driven by visionary ambition, Governor Sule’s journey from corporate giant to servant leader offers Nigeria a masterclass in bridging ethical governance with tangible progress.

Having spent most of his working life in the United States and transversing the globe as an engineer searching for oil, Governor Sule’s extensive international background has profoundly shaped his governance philosophy and democratic approach in Nasarawa State.

When some of his early traducers criticised him as not being a politician, what they implied in eseence was that though a thoroughbred democrat, the Governor has refused to manifest the peculiar characteristics of a typical Nigerian politician who may not necessarily be democratic in ideals.

Instead, Governor Sule’s global engineering career is forging a governance style that is blending technocratic efficiency, foreign investment agility, and ethical accountability, thereby transforming Nasarawa into an emerging industrial hub while redefining democratic service delivery in Nigeria.

Since coming into office in 2019, he has continued to provide purposeful leadership with focus being his secret weapon, as codified in the Nasarawa Economic Development Strategy (NEDS), which is responsible for the successes being recorded across various sectors of the economy particularly in agriculture, mining, education, health and industrialization.

During the past six years, he has exemplified democratic principles through his governance style, institutional reforms, and commitment to public accountability. For instance, the Governor Sule’s administration operates like an open book, revolutionizing trust in public institution.

In 2021, the Governor launched the Nasarawa Open Government Initiative (NOGI) which allows citizens to track state expenditures, from the ₦1.3 billion for the completion of the dualization of the second phase of Shendam Road to the 500 million naira for the supply of electricity equipment and install CCTV in Lafia and its environments budgets, via a digital dashboard. This reduced procurement-related petitions by 80% and earned Nasarawa 1st place in fiscal transparency in North-Central Nigeria.

There is no where Governor Sule’s democratic credentials stands out more than in his citizens engagement in governance. This rare characteristics in leadership has been on continuous display as far as the present administration is concerned. From measured townhall meetings to engagements with stakeholders, Governor Sule has opened a new vista where citizens of the state are constantly informed about resources coming into the state, with their inputs taken on how to utilise such resources.

Instances of these citizens engagement and participation are numerous to mention but a clear example was the recent engagement with both critical stakeholders and members of the state executive council, regarding the N9.75bn refund from the Federal Government for taking over ownership of the Lafia Airport.

The Governor’s corporate background has instilled a results-driven mindset that is yielding tremendous progress and making the administration deliver performance-based governance that is translating into the implementation of reforms in revenue and taxation and real time fiscal foresight, quadrupling internally generated revenue since 2019. He also undertook the reforms of the civil service to curb financial malpractice and block leakages, aligning public administration with corporate best practices.

This same results-driven mindset has seen to project continuity following the completion of inherited projects, with work about to commence in earnest towards completing the Kwandere-Sabon Gida Road initiated by the immediate past administration of Senator Umaru Tanko Al-makura, as well as the Farin Ruwa Dam project started by the first civilian governor of the state, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

Under the present administration, private sector efficiency has been brought to bear in public administration, with Governor Sule’s exposure to international markets fuelling an aggressive foreign investment drive, attracting lithium processing plants such as the Avatar Energy’s $200M factory, as well as renewable energy projects.

A remarkable intervention that is revolutionizing the solid minerals sector not only in Nasarawa State but the entire country was the issuance of the Nasarawa State Executive Order 2 of 2022, which focuses on protecting mining host communities and ensuring that mining companies adhere to their licenses. The impact of the order on mining and minerals development is transforming Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, with Nasarawa under Governor Sule now a shining light and the true Home of Solid Minerals.

His technocratic approach to governance and democracy led to institutional reforms, giving birth to the new tax harmonization law, as well as the creation of the Nasarawa Bureau of Public Procurement to enforce competitive bidding and anti-corruption measures.

It is also clear for all to see that his global exposure has reinforced inclusive governance under the present administration, with specific policies aimed at targeting the less privileged members of the society. Examples that readily comes to mind include social programmes for the empowerment of widows/orphans and a 5% public-sector quota for persons with disabilities. Even the enactment of the Child Protection Law (2019) to combat exploitative traditions like street hawking falls under this category of inclusive governance.

In the area of security, Governor Sule’s experience in volatile regions highlighted security’s role in development. Under his administration, security remains topmost priority, with the Governor sustain synergy and cordial working relationships with security agencies, building effectively on the well established community based conflict resolution mechanism on ground, thereby ensuring relative peace and security across the state.

Governor Sule’s leadership epitomizes democracy’s core principle: government as a public trust. His administration’s refusal to take new loans while eliminating ₦57 billion in inherited debt demonstrates unprecedented fiscal accountability.

In the aspect of gender equity, Governor Sule was the first to launch the Gender Transformative Human Capital Development Policy to empower women and reduce disparities.

Indeed, beyond balance sheets, his open-door policy reshaped civic engagement through inclusive appointments. It is under this dispensation that Nasarawa is witnessing an unprecedented elevation of women to pivotal roles. Nigeria’s first female State Chief Judge, Justice Aisha Bashir Aliyu, first female Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sa’adatu Liman, and a female Minister, Hajiya Iman Suleiman Ibrahim. The Head of the Civil Serivice, Abigail Iwaya, as well as several others heading various MDAs.

It is on record that Governor Sule’s leadership prioritizes equity across demographics, with ongoing revolution in education particularly in surpassing UNESCO’s 26 per cent education budget benchmark, construction of new and rehabilitation of schools, recruitment of over 8000 teachers, as well as equipping classrooms with digital tools.

Under the administration’s healthcare for all policy blueprint, over 500, 000 citizens have been enrolled in the Nasarawa Health Insurance Scheme, slashing out-of-pocket costs by 70%. Mobile clinics serve remote communities, achieving 98% vaccine coverage.

On this Democracy Day, Governor Sule’s work whispers a potent truth: democracy thrives not through rhetoric, but through leaders who merge competence with character, and vision with accountability.

His stewardship is but a comfirmation that leadership is problem-solving, which demands understanding the environment, transparency, and aligning ones character with the people’s wishes.

Nasarawa’s rise—from overlooked state to Nigeria’s lithium and agribusiness beacon—proves that purposeful leadership can ignite a quiet revolution. In Governor Sule, Nigeria finds proof that democracy, when stewarded with integrity, remains the most powerful engine of transformation.

Abare (anipr), is the Senior Special Assistant on Media to Governor Abdullahi Sule.