By Editor
The 2027 election season is already gathering momentum in North Central Nigeria after the emergence of two high-profile candidates stirred fresh debates in Niger and Nasarawa states. Former FIRS Chairman Mohammed Mamman Nami has been affirmed as the PDP governorship candidate in Niger State, while former Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar Adamu emerged as the SDP flagbearer in Nasarawa. Both moves have shifted alignments and triggered legal and political arguments over process and strategy.
In Niger, Nami confirmed his candidacy in a video released on Sunday, saying he is ready to challenge incumbent Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago. The PDP finalized the switch last Thursday in Minna during a State Executive Committee meeting where the earlier candidate, Architect Abubakar Suleiman, stepped down to allow Nami to run. State PDP Chairman Aliyu Haliru Kaura said the replacement was done within the window allowed by the Electoral Act and was aimed at strengthening the party’s grassroots base ahead of the polls. Nami’s emergence comes months after he lost the APC ticket for Niger South Senatorial District to Sani Idris Kutigi, a result he and other aspirants rejected and petitioned.
In Nasarawa, Adamu reentered the governorship race on Saturday, September 5, when he was picked as the SDP candidate at a primary in Lafia. The primary was held to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Musa Adamu Angba, who withdrew in favor of Adamu. The event was attended by SDP national leaders including Presidential Candidate Prince Adewole Adebayo, a sign the party intends to make a serious push in the state. Adamu had earlier contested the APC ticket and lost to Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada before defecting to the SDP.
The SDP primary has however drawn a legal challenge. Lawyer Obere A. Kana argued that the exercise violated Sections 33 and 82(1) of the Electoral Act 2026. He noted that INEC had published Angba’s name on August 29, and that with 25 days between Angba’s June 10 withdrawal affidavit and the September 5 primary, the party exceeded the 14-day period to conduct a fresh primary, making the process “null and void ab initio.” SDP chieftain Joseph Kaura rejected the claim, calling it a distraction. He said a letter was written to INEC by the national secretariat and that the Nasarawa REC and two national officials monitored the primary, insisting due process was followed.
The developments have also prompted calls for opposition unity. NDC governorship candidate Alhaji Idris Usman Makanta said political strength is measured not by crowd size or resources but by connection with the people and credibility of message. With Nami now leading PDP in Niger and Adamu flying the SDP flag in Nasarawa, both states are set for competitive contests that could test party structures, legal interpretations of the Electoral Act, and voter appetite for alternatives to incumbency in 2027.
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