Nasarawa 2027: SAN Vows to Defy Governor Sule, Rules Out Stepping Down

LAFIA — Ahead of the highly anticipated All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Nasarawa State, a leading contender and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Alhaji Hassan Liman, has firmly ruled out any possibility of withdrawing from the race.

​Liman’s declaration comes amid intensifying intra-party maneuvers and reports of pressure on key contenders to step down in order to pave the way for a consensus candidate.

​Speaking with journalists in Lafia, the state capital, shortly after a strategic meeting with the APC State Executive Committee, the legal luminary maintained that his ambition remains fully on track. He emphasized that he would not capitulate to withdrawal pressures, even if approached directly by the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Sule, or other powerful party stakeholders.

​The political atmosphere in Nasarawa has grown tense following the recent withdrawal of several aspirants who opted to back Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada—the lawmaker widely believed to enjoy the tacit endorsement and preference of Governor Sule for the party’s ticket.

​Addressing the speculation surrounding his own stance, Liman stated that the democratic process must be allowed to run its full course.

​”Governor Sule is a democrat. I believe that he will not ask anyone to step down,” Liman stated. “As far as I am concerned, he has said times without number that everyone who has purchased a form has the right to contest, and we are going to contest. So, the question of stepping down does not arise. I am not stepping down for anyone. No one has approached me to step down, and I am not going to step down because that issue is not even on the table.”

​Liman, an experienced political player who previously contested the party’s ticket alongside Governor Sule during past primary cycles, dismissed claims that the brewing executive preferences have fractured the state chapter of the ruling party. He maintained that the constitutional right of an incumbent to express a preference does not invalidate the necessity of a transparent electoral contest.

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​Flanked by members of his campaign team at the party secretariat, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria explained that his visit to the state executives was to reinforce the need for a strict adherence to laid-down guidelines, ensuring a level playing field for Thursday’s primary election.

​”Every person has a fundamental right, and our Electoral Act and party constitution do not say that a candidate must come from a particular part of the state,” Liman argued. “So as a party, each and every one of us has the right to contest the election, and that is exactly what we are doing. There is no division in our party.”

​With the APC primary scheduled for Thursday, Liman’s resolute stance sets up a significant political showdown in Lafia, signaling that the battle for the party’s ticket will be decided at the delegates’ ballot rather than through backroom consensus deals.