The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has picked Musa Shugaba-Abdullahi as its candidate for the 2027 Nasarawa State governorship election.
Shugaba-Abdullahi emerged as the party’s standard-bearer during a substitution primary conducted through affirmation on Tuesday night in Lafia, the state capital.
The exercise was overseen by the NDC Electoral Committee and supervised by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Chairman of the electoral committee and NDC National Treasurer, Dr Peter Onigah, said the process was conducted in accordance with the Electoral Act.
In his acceptance speech, Shugaba-Abdullahi unveiled a five-point agenda centred on education, healthcare, infrastructure, empowerment and security.
He pledged to introduce free and compulsory education for children between the ages of three and 19 if elected governor, saying the policy would help tackle illiteracy and some social problems affecting young people.
“We want to reduce illiteracy to the barest minimum. One of the reasons for insecurity and other social vices is because a good number of our youth are illiterate,” he said.
The candidate also promised government assistance for youths aged between 19 and 25 who intend to pursue NCE, OND, vocational and selected medical programmes.
According to him, the government would subsidise tuition for the programmes, while parents would be responsible for feeding their children.
On healthcare, Shugaba-Abdullahi said his administration would prioritise the sector and seek to position Nasarawa as a medical hub in Nigeria.
“Our aim is to reduce the need for Nigerians to travel to India, Dubai, the United Kingdom and other countries for medical treatment,” he said.
He further promised to adopt a community-driven approach to infrastructure development, saying government projects would be selected based on the specific needs of communities.
On insecurity, the NDC candidate acknowledged the constitutional limitations of state governments but pledged to work with the Federal Government to address criminal activities and security challenges in the state.
The NDC State Chairman, Hon. Dogo Shammah, explained that the substitution primary became necessary after some constituencies failed to produce aspirants during the party’s May 2026 primary election, leading to the use of placeholders.
Shammah said the party was positioning itself to mount a strong challenge in the 2027 elections.
He urged party executives, zonal officers, local government and ward leaders to intensify mobilisation ahead of the poll.
The exercise also produced five candidates for the Nasarawa State House of Assembly.
They are Iliya Emmanuel Ayas for Kokona West, Lucy Kigbu-Anzaku for Keffi East, Mohammed Ramalan for Keffi West, Micha Mamman for Obi 1 and Hussaini Mustapha-Ganuwa for Toto/Gadabuke Constituency.
In Niger State, the NDC has also settled its internal disagreement over its governorship ticket, adopting Alhaji Yahaya Mohammed Adam Guregi as its candidate for the 2027 election.
The development brings to an end the dispute between Guregi and Alhaji Usman Idris Makanta, popularly known as “Shinkafan Nupe,” over the party’s governorship ticket.
Makanta and his supporters had claimed the NDC governorship slot, arguing that his name was widely associated with the party’s governorship bid.
However, he did not participate in the party’s primary process, having yet to resign from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at the time Guregi appeared as the sole candidate for screening.
To resolve the disagreement, the NDC national headquarters constituted a three-member committee headed by its South-South Vice Chairman, Barrister Fredrick Owotorufa. Dr Stanley Boroh served as secretary, while Aliyu Dantala was a member.
The committee conducted the governorship substitution primary in Minna on Tuesday. The exercise was initially scheduled as a direct primary but was conducted by affirmation after Guregi emerged as the sole candidate.
Owotorufa subsequently declared Guregi the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Niger State, saying the process was conducted in line with the Electoral Act and the party’s guidelines.
He called on NDC members and supporters to remain united ahead of the election, stressing that internal cohesion would be necessary for the party to mount a challenge in the state.
In his acceptance speech, Guregi pledged to prioritise security, peace and stability if elected.