By Kazeem Joel, Lafia
Immediate past Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, has declared his full support for the governorship ambition of Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada ahead of the 2027 election.
Balarabe made the declaration on Tuesday when he hosted members of the Sen. Wadada Youth Ambassadors, a youth mobilisation and support group backing the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, at his residence in Lafia.
The former Speaker described Wadada as a candidate with the capacity to provide effective leadership and development for Nasarawa State.
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He said his support for Wadada was based on a longstanding personal relationship, friendship and political understanding between them.
“I have a long-time relationship with Sen. Wadada. It is a personal relationship. He is a friend and political associate; therefore, his project automatically becomes my project,” Balarabe said.
He added that both men shared similar political ideology and maintained a relationship built on openness and mutual understanding.
Balarabe also recalled that some APC members supported Wadada during the last senatorial election, when he contested under the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
“In the last election, some of us in APC supported and worked for Wadada for Senate in SDP, and I never regretted that,” he said.
According to him, the decision was motivated by personal conviction about Wadada’s ability and not hostility towards the APC.
“What we did was not anti-party but anti-person, because I know he is the best man for the job. He has the capacity and he will bring development to our people,” he added.
The former Speaker further expressed confidence in the ability of his political structure to mobilise voters across the state, particularly in Umaisha and Gadabuke.
“I contested election in 2015, I won; I contested in 2019, I won; and I contested in 2023, I won. We know how to win elections. We know the strategy and mobilisation,” he said.
Balarabe pledged that Umaisha would be delivered for Wadada in the 2027 governorship election.
“We will deliver Umaisha 100 percent for Wadada, Insha Allah. We will win in 2027. God gives power and we are requesting from Him and by His grace Wadada will be the next Governor,” he stated.
On the political situation in Toto Local Government Area, Balarabe acknowledged existing challenges in Toto town but expressed optimism that dialogue and grassroots engagement would resolve them.
“We will secure Gadabuke by God’s grace, but the fact that we can’t hide is we have issues in Toto town and we can’t run away from that fact. But by God’s grace it will be tackled in the long run,” he said.
He urged the youth group to intensify grassroots mobilisation, stressing that political success depends on numbers, strategy and engagement with voters.
“Politics is local, it is a game of numbers and strategies,” Balarabe added.
Earlier, Chairman of the Sen. Wadada Youth Ambassadors, Zaidu Aliyu Tanko, said the group visited the former Speaker to identify with him as a political leader and seek his continued advice and guidance.
