A former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has emerged as the Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) governorship candidate in Nasarawa State for the 2027 election.
NEWSNGR reports that Adamu, the sole aspirant in the replacement primary held in Lafia on Saturday, was declared the party’s flag-bearer after securing votes from participating delegates across the state.
The exercise was organised to replace the party’s previous candidate, Musa Adamu Angba.
Chairman of the SDP Electoral Committee for Nasarawa State, Barrister Joseph Achille, announced Adamu’s emergence at the collation centre at Ta’al Hotel, Lafia.
Achille said voting was conducted across the state’s 13 local government areas before the results were collated at the council level and forwarded to the committee.
He said 28,637 delegates participated in the exercise, which he described as peaceful.
“Sitting before you today to conduct this election primary. As you are all aware, we have a sole candidate for the office of governor, SDP, Nasarawa State,” Achille told party members.
The electoral committee chairman said votes from the wards were collated before the final declaration was made.
“Having scored the total votes peacefully and lawfully, it gives me singular privilege, by the powers conferred on me by the National Executive Committee and the National Working Committee, to declare the result that Mohammed Abubakar Adamu scored the highest lawful valid votes,” he said.
Achille subsequently declared the former police chief the SDP governorship candidate.
“Subsequently, he is declared, returned, and elected as the candidate and flag-bearer of the Social Democratic Party for Nasarawa State,” he added.
The committee, which also included its secretary, Ibrahim Ahmad, and Adeyemi Abimbola, described the primary as “free, fair, and credible.”
Accepting the nomination, Adamu pledged to pursue changes in Nasarawa State’s administration if elected governor.
The former IGP, whose declaration was met with chants from supporters, said his emergence gave him an opportunity to present an alternative development plan to residents.
He said, “I am delighted that the primaries have been conducted. I’m also delighted that we have been declared the winner.
“My family and the people of Nasarawa State are delighted that this primary has been conducted, and we have been declared winners.”
Adamu promised to work towards changing what he described as “the bad governance that is taking place” in the state.
Unveiling some of his priorities, the SDP candidate identified rural infrastructure and healthcare as areas requiring greater attention.
Adamu said visits to different parts of Nasarawa had exposed the poor condition of roads in several communities.
“We will not neglect social amenities that are required. We’ve gone round the state, we have seen all the roads that are in the hinterlands are neglected. We’ll make sure that we take care of those,” he said.
He also promised to expand access to healthcare beyond major towns.
“We’ll provide healthcare that is needed not only in the urban cities, but also in the rural areas,” the former IGP added.
Agriculture would also occupy a central place in his administration’s economic programme, Adamu said.
Describing Nasarawa as an agrarian state with significant amounts of cultivable land, he pledged increased investment in the sector to improve food production and livelihoods.
“Nasarawa State is an agrarian state. We have vast expanses of land that is conducive for agriculture. We shall invest so much in it so as to feed our families, to feed the people of the state, and also the country at large,” he stated.
The SDP candidate also criticised the management of Nasarawa’s solid mineral resources, arguing that residents were not receiving sufficient benefits from their exploitation.
“Nasarawa State is also endowed with mineral resources. The way it is being handled now, the way it is being exploited, it is not to the benefit of the people of the state,” he said.
Adamu promised to review the sector to ensure that host communities and other residents derived greater economic benefits.
“We are going to look into the way it has been handled, and make sure that the benefit comes to the people,” he added.
He said his campaign would provide detailed commitments tailored to individual local government areas rather than relying on broad promises.
“During the campaign, we are going to be specific in all that we will do, and telling our people what we are going to do word-by-word, local government-by-local government,” Adamu said.
Before voting began, the SDP national leadership presented Adamu to delegates and urged party members to mobilise for him ahead of the governorship election.
Party leaders described the former IGP’s entry into the contest as significant for the SDP’s ambitions in Nasarawa.
The party’s national chairman praised Adamu’s career in the Nigeria Police Force, saying he had served with “utmost discipline, integrity, and commitment to the rule of law.”
The remarks drew chants of “IG Governor” from supporters at the venue.
The SDP leadership also urged members to work towards victories in the governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly elections.
“We want nothing but SDP… SDP in Nigeria, SDP in Nasarawa State, SDP in Senate, SDP in House of Reps, SDP in State Assemblies,” the party leader said.
The replacement primary was witnessed by SDP presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, and other national officials of the party.
