Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has accused his predecessor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, of going beyond his limits by attempting to determine who should succeed him in office.
Sule, who will complete his constitutionally allowed two terms by 2027, made the remarks during an appearance on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television.
His comments come amid tensions over his backing of Ahmed Wadada for the APC governorship ticket.
According to Sule, Al-Makura has every right to support any aspirant he prefers, but attempting to impose a candidate is unacceptable.
“As an individual, he had a preferred aspirant. And he has a right to have a preferred aspirant. And his preferred aspirant may not be my preferred aspirant,” he said.
“But to the point where now you say, ‘I will select an aspirant for you to take over from you’, I think that’s overdoing it.”
The governor explained that part of the disagreement is linked to zoning issues within the state.
“Especially when it’s coming from a zone that I don’t believe is the right zone. So it’s not biting the finger that fed me,” he said.
Sule also revealed that he has discussed the matter with top political figures, including both a former president and the current president, stressing that keeping them informed was a matter of courtesy, not obligation.
“I have gone to see the former president; I have gone to see the current president. I have carried them along. That’s not a right, that’s a privilege,” he said.
He added that he held consultations with stakeholders from the western zone before deciding on his preferred candidate.
“I had this discussion that I have just told you with the aspirants of the western zone, and I decided to go and brief Mr President with the preferred candidate,” he said.
“If I didn’t carry Senator Tanko Al-Makura along, that’s not his right; if I had done that, that would have been a privilege.”
Sule further noted that Al-Makura was involved in several stakeholder meetings leading up to the decision to back Wadada.
“As far as the meetings are concerned, you know those meetings that we have had, including the meetings that I said became very stormy between him and one of his childhood friends who was a former ambassador that made me even rush and end the meeting, he was at those meetings,” he said.
“Every meeting of the stakeholders, he was invited to every event we ever had.”
Reiterating his position, Sule maintained that while Al-Makura is free to support any aspirant, their choices differ partly because they come from different zones. He argued that it would be unfair for power to return to a zone that has already held it for 12 years.
“You know the truth of the matter is that Senator Tanko Al-Makura, as an individual, had a preferred aspirant, and he has the right to have a preferred aspirant, and his preferred aspirant may not be my preferred aspirant,” he said.
“Because of the fact that they come from two different zones, and I strongly believed then, I believe now, and I believe tomorrow that it will not be fair to still go back to a zone that has just finished 12 years. That’s my justification.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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