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From Abel Leonard, Lafia
The 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State, Dr. David Umbugadu, still has his eyes on the governorship of the state.
The quest to govern the state recently forced him to resign from the PDP to pitch his tent with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), citing internal conflicts and leadership tussle within the fold as reasons for his defection.
In a letter dated February 28, 2026, and addressed to the Ward Chairman of the PDP in Ika Wangibi Ward, Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area and made available to journalists at the time, Ombugadu said his decision followed extensive consultations with his supporters.
“I write to formally notify you of my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) effective immediately,” the letter reads in parts.
The former lawmaker described the decision as difficult but necessary, attributing it to what he called lingering internal crises in the party.
“After due consultations with my teeming and ever faithful supporters, I arrived at this difficult decision which was prompted by the party’s internal conflicts and leadership tussle that has led to uncertainty, as the confounding situation makes my political destination hazy, thereby warranting a solid and clear political path. I hereby express my sincere and unreserved gratitude to the party for according me the platform to serve our dear state and country,” he said.
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He concluded the letter by requesting that it be accepted as his formal withdrawal of membership from the party.
His resignation, analysts had predicted, would reshape the political landscape in Nasarawa State, where he remains a significant figure with strong grassroots following. Party officials in the state were yet to issue an official response concerning his exit.
But barely three weeks after joining the ruling APC, Umbugadu made a dramatic return to the PDP. He confirmed his resignation in a letter addressed to the APC chairman of Ika/Wangibi Ward in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area, citing concerns over alleged political manoeuvres aimed at undermining his 2027 governorship ambition as the reason for his decision to leave the party.
In the resignation letter, dated March 24, 2026, the former lawmaker noted that he would be returning to the PDP, a party he described as his “political base.”
He had defected to the APC, where he was formally received at the Government House in Lafia on March 2, 2026, by Governor Abdullahi Sule, former governors Abdullahi Adamu and Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, as well as other party leaders and critical stakeholders.
His return to the PDP, analysts say, is expected to spark another round of political realignment in the state.
Daily Sun recalls that Umbugadu initially joined the PDP in 2014 after defecting from the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), and remained with the party until his brief stint in the APC. His latest move is expected to reshape political alignments in Nasarawa State ahead of the 2027 elections.
