By Our Reporter
Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Nasarawa State for the 2027 election, has urged leaders of his Senatorial campaign council to open their doors to new members, insisting that the task ahead requires an inclusive political family rather than a closed circle of established loyalists.
Wadada made the call at his Keffi Polo Ranch along the Keffi–Abuja Road, while addressing a delegation of former senatorial campaign coordinators from across the western senatorial district.
He said unity, reconciliation and grassroots mobilisation would be critical to achieving the party’s objectives in the forthcoming governorship election, urging members who had defected to other political parties to return to the APC and contribute to the campaign.
The senator described his governorship ambition as a collective project that goes beyond his personal political aspirations, stressing that its ultimate objective should be the development of Nasarawa State and the advancement of the western senatorial district.
He also called on campaign leaders to embrace new entrants and former members, maintaining that every individual had a role to play in building a formidable campaign structure ahead of 2027.
According to him, winning the governorship election would require greater commitment, unity and determination than the struggle for a senatorial seat.
Wadada therefore challenged the coordinators to deploy their political experience, networks and organisational capacity to mobilise support across communities, wards and local government areas.
The senator commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for what he described as good governance and development strides recorded under his administration.
He pledged that, if elected governor, his administration would build on Sule’s achievements, preserve existing legacies and introduce additional initiatives aimed at improving the lives of residents.
Wadada said his proposed administration would seek to consolidate ongoing development projects while pursuing further opportunities in infrastructure, economic growth and public service delivery.
He maintained that the people of Nasarawa State deserved continued democratic dividends and that the next administration should build on the foundations established by the outgoing government.
Wadada also called on Nigerians to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, citing federal government projects and initiatives that he said could benefit Nasarawa State.
Among the projects he highlighted were the Keffi–Nasarawa–Toto–Abaji concrete road project, the establishment of the Federal University of Mining in Nasarawa State and the planned dualisation of the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Yobe–Maiduguri highway.
He argued that continuity at the federal level would provide an opportunity to consolidate ongoing national development projects, linking the APC’s political prospects in Nasarawa State to the party’s broader agenda at the national level.
Earlier, the chairman of the Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu Campaign Council, Hon. Danladi Madaki Usha, commended the senator for the confidence reposed in the campaign team.
Madaki assured Wadada that the coordinators and other campaign officials would intensify grassroots mobilisation efforts to support the APC in the 2027 elections.
He urged members to remain committed to the party’s objectives and work towards securing victory across the various elective positions.
Similarly, the Director-General of the campaign team, Hon. Bello Ramalan, said the meeting had renewed members’ confidence and strengthened their resolve to work together.
He described the gathering as an opportunity to reconnect former campaign members and reinforce their commitment to the party’s political objectives.
Some members, including Mr. Solomon Azaki, Hajiya Laraba Musa and Mr. Gbyefi Samuel, expressed their readiness to return to their respective communities and resume grassroots mobilisation.
They pledged to work towards securing support for the APC in their localities and called on the senator to sustain his efforts towards the development of the state.
As part of his support for the campaign structure, Wadada donated ₦20 million to the coordinators to support their activities.
In a related development, Wadada received members of the Voice for the Common Women Advancement Group from Karu Local Government Area, who visited to express solidarity with his 2027 governorship ambition.
Addressing the women, the senator urged them to conduct their political activities peacefully and responsibly, warning against intimidation, abuse, fighting and other forms of violence.
He advised his supporters to communicate his record, programmes and development plans to voters rather than engage in personal attacks against political opponents.
Wadada called on politicians across the state to embrace issue-based campaigns built around credible manifestoes, practical policy proposals and development priorities.
He said political competition should provide an opportunity for voters to assess candidates’ plans for addressing the state’s challenges and improving residents’ welfare.
Earlier, the group’s leader, Mrs. Lois Samuel, said members were prepared to mobilise support for Wadada and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.
Samuel disclosed that the organisation had members across Nasarawa State, including widows, orphans, professionals and other vulnerable groups.
She said the group had undertaken several philanthropic and empowerment activities, including scholarship awards, assistance to less-privileged citizens, support for vulnerable people, financial and material assistance to women establishing small businesses, and donations to orphanage homes across local government areas.
She added that the organisation remained committed to promoting women’s welfare and supporting vulnerable citizens while contributing to the state’s social and political development.
In response, Wadada donated ₦10 million to support the group’s activities and strengthen its capacity to continue its humanitarian interventions.
The two engagements highlight the senator’s efforts to reconnect with former campaign coordinators, encourage defectors to return to the APC and engage organised community groups ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
His appeal for inclusion and peaceful, issue-based campaigning, alongside his pledge to build on Governor Sule’s achievements, forms part of the political message he is presenting as he seeks to consolidate support for his governorship ambition.
Whether the renewed commitments from campaign coordinators and community groups translate into sustained grassroots mobilisation and broader voter support will become clearer as political activities ahead of the 2027 election intensify.
