Fatima Abdullahi picked up her governorship forms on Monday. She's running for Nasarawa State in 2027 despite Governor Abdullahi Sule's backing of Senator Ahmed Wadada.
Wadada represents Nasarawa West in the Senate. Sule has publicly endorsed him as his successor and introduced him to President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Abdullahi shrugged off the governor's endorsement. She insisted the people, not political heavyweights, would decide the race.
"I am very confident that I will win," she told reporters. "It's not about going very far; it's about winning."
Sule's backing has upset other aspirants in the state. But Abdullahi remained unfazed by the political manoeuvre.
She acknowledged the governor's right to pick a favourite. Still, she demanded a fair contest for all candidates.
"The governor, as he said, has the right to point to his preferred candidate," Abdullahi noted. "However, he has also assured all aspirants that there will be a free and fair election."
Direct primaries would minimize cheating, she argued. "We are on ground and will ensure that the process is credible," she added.
Abdullahi pointed to her nearly two decades in business. She said this track record equipped her well for state leadership.
In a related development, Sule himself entered the senatorial race. He obtained his expression of interest forms on Monday for Nasarawa North.
Timothy Anjide, a former Secretary to the Nasarawa State Government, picked up the forms on the governor's behalf. Top officials accompanied him at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
Anjide explained that public demand pushed Sule into the race. He didn't elaborate on which constituencies were pressuring the governor.
