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From Abel Leonard, Lafia
A frontline governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nasarawa State, Dr Faisal Shuaib, has formally withdrawn from the 2027 race, throwing his full support behind Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, the preferred candidate of Governor Abdullahi Sule.
Shuaib, a former Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), announced his decision on Monday during a World Press Conference after days of consultations with supporters and stakeholders across the state.
Addressing journalists, party leaders, and supporters, Shuaib said his decision, though difficult, was guided by his commitment to party unity and the need to uphold his word.
“I am formally withdrawing from the contest for the APC gubernatorial ticket in Nasarawa State,” he declared. “I throw my full weight, the weight of my structure, and the weight of my conviction behind the preferred candidate of the Governor, Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada.”
He explained that the decision followed a consultative meeting convened by Governor Sule, where eight aspirants from Nasarawa West were asked to agree on a consensus candidate ahead of the primaries.
According to him, efforts by the aspirants to reach a common ground failed, prompting them to return to the Governor to make a final decision.
“We tried, in good faith but the truth is that we could not arrive at a single name by our own hands,” Shuaib said. “We undertook that we would rally behind whomever he chose.”
He noted that although the announcement of Wadada as the preferred candidate did not come easy to all aspirants, he chose to honour his earlier commitment.
“I gave my word that I would support whomever His Excellency Governor Abdullahi Sule presented. That word was not given for the easy day; it was given precisely so it would hold on the difficult one,” he added.
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Shuaib acknowledged the sacrifices of his supporters, describing the consultations leading to his withdrawal as “the hardest of my political life.”
“I have sat across from men who emptied their savings to support this dream… To carry their hopes is a great honour. To return to them with this news is a heavy burden,” he said.
He, however, urged his supporters across the three senatorial zones of the state to remain calm and rally behind the party’s direction.
“I ask you to lift your eyes above the disappointment of this moment toward the larger purpose we have always served: the unity of our party,” he appealed.
Extending a hand of partnership to Wadada, Shuaib said the APC candidate would not walk the journey alone. “To Senator Wadada, I extend my hand in partnership and my prayers for the road ahead. The task is consequential, and the people deserve every ounce of devotion,” he said.
He reaffirmed his commitment to the development of Nasarawa State and Nigeria, stressing that his withdrawal does not mark the end of his service.
“My commitment to Nasarawa State, to the APC, and to the service of our people does not end on this podium. It only takes a different shape,” he stated.
Shuaib also paid tribute to past and present leaders of the state for laying the foundation of its development, while calling on Nigerians to support the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“These are demanding times for our nation, I call on Nigerians to give these policies the time they require, with the understanding that real change rarely arrives on the timeline we might wish for,” he said.
