Tinubu on course to win more states in 2027 — Gov Sule

In this interview on Trust TV’s Daily Politics, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State spoke on the growing fear that Nigeria would disintegrate into a one-party state, amid the wave of defections into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and what it means for the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration. He also outlined his government’s […]

In this interview on Trust TV’s Daily Politics, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State spoke on the growing fear that Nigeria would disintegrate into a one-party state, amid the wave of defections into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and what it means for the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration. He also outlined his government’s efforts in the areas of security, job creation and education, as well as the recently founded North-Central Development Commission.

 

The recent political developments in the country have sparked a national debate about the future of our democracy. Your party is currently receiving a wave of defections. Politically, that might be exciting for you, but what would you say to those who are concerned that Nigeria could be heading towards a one-party state?

I honestly don’t believe that Nigeria will ever become a one-party state. In fact, I don’t think that even a single household in Nigeria could be a one-party family. It is just the fear that people have. That’s just the nature of Nigerians – we are diverse, opinionated and very protective of our rights.

I think the fear some people have is more about perception than reality. Let’s take a recent example – people point to Delta State, but the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) didn’t win the presidential election there nor did the APC. It was only the governorship that the PDP won. The same person who lost at the presidential level is the one now defecting. So, how does that translate to one-party dominance?

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Even within that same state, there are PDP members saying, “We are not going with the governor.” So, it is not as though everyone is moving in one direction. But when you see people defecting to a particular party, it usually means that the party is doing something right – something that people find appealing and want to be part of.

Of course, as a politician you will be pleased when people are joining your party. In fact, on Monday, we will all be in Delta to formally receive the governor into our party. But these shifts aren’t new – they have always happened.

In the Second Republic, for example, many parties that didn’t support the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1979, ended up doing so in 1983, increasing the party’s number of governors. When former President Obasanjo came into office in 1999, he lost the entire South-West. But by 2003, he had won every state in the region, except Lagos. These dynamics are part of our political evolution.

So, yes, people may worry, but I believe it is fear of the unknown. Personally, I am not concerned about Nigeria turning into a one-party state. What I believe is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, just like some of his predecessors, is likely to win more states and more votes in the next election than he did in 2023. That’s how I see it.

 

How is Nasarawa State faring in the grand scheme of things under your leadership?

We thank God for where we are today. Before assuming office, we established a clear agenda, mission and set of objectives; and we have been pursuing them diligently, achieving our goals one step at a time.

We began with the issue of security, which was a major concern when we came in. Today, as you can observe, Nasarawa is one of the safest states in the region. We have maintained strong, peaceful relationships across communities. Nasarawa is a microcosm of Nigeria, home to more than 30 different ethnic groups and languages. Despite our diversity, we have continued to live together in peace; and that’s something we are deeply grateful for.

We have also been spared some of the security challenges faced by neighbouring states. So, in the area of security, we can confidently say that we have made significant progress.

Another priority has been education. It was a major focus from the outset. At this week’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, technical and vocational education was on the agenda. And I am pleased that the new minister of education is taking it seriously. The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has visited Nasarawa several times to accredit our technical programmes, which we began developing as far back as 2019. It is encouraging to see the federal government now aligning with this effort. We are learning from one another and making steady progress.

In agriculture, we have also come a long way. Nasarawa is now being cited as an example for other states. Beyond supporting various categories of farmers, we have established a state-owned farm covering 10,000 hectares. We have completed our first harvest and are preparing for the second planting season.

When it comes to rural development, we have made significant strides. Many agricultural communities previously had no access roads. Take Farin Ruwa for example – an agricultural hub with enormous potential. There was no motorable road into the area, making it difficult to reach the dam, yet Farin Ruwa has three major prospects: hydroelectric power generation, tourism due to its waterfalls and a wildlife reserve now under federal management. The previous attempt to generate 20 megawatts of power there under the administration of Abdullahi Adamu failed largely due to the lack of access. We have now constructed that road and many others.

Other rural roads we have completed include Gudi to Moro, Nunku to Ajaga, to Linze, and Adudu to Azara. These projects have opened up vast agricultural and mining zones, connecting remote areas to the rest of the state. We have also worked on roads from Umasha and Mararaba-Udege to Loko, among others.

We have empowered women and the youth through various initiatives and invested significantly in urban development. Anyone who visits Nasarawa today can see that we are transforming Lafia, the state capital into a city befitting its status. We are also developing the two senatorial headquarters, Akwanga and Keffi.

We have tackled market infrastructure too, reducing losses suffered by traders due to frequent fire outbreaks. We replaced poorly constructed markets with more durable, fire-resistant structures.

In a nutshell, we are grateful for the progress we have made across all sectors.

There’s a lot of talk about the imbalance that can arise when an economy is opened up. At the federal level, we have heard criticism of some of the reforms undertaken. How are you working to ensure that Nasarawa State’s economic development, particularly in agriculture and mining, benefits the people and doesn’t simply favour the private sector?

In Nasarawa State, our approach has always been to ensure strong local participation. If the local population is actively involved, they stand to benefit meaningfully. Let me give you a concrete example. In Nasarawa Local Government Area, there has been a major discovery of lithium. A company is currently setting up a large processing facility there. From the start, we insisted that the state government must have a stake in the project. Although the company already held a licence, they agreed to allow the state to own a 30 per cent share.

When we received the first signature bonus, we distributed it in a way that it directly benefits the people: the state government retained 66 per cent while the host community received 33 per cent. But more important to me than financial gains is the development of our people.

We reached an agreement with the company to prioritise local employment; not just hiring people from the area, but training them too. The company agreed to sponsor individuals from the host communities for training at a similar facility. They committed to training 100 people in total, starting with 30, followed by 20, and then the final 50. We have already selected the first group of 30 for training.

Beyond that, they have awarded scholarships to students in the area and are investing in education and health care infrastructure. I personally commissioned a clinic in Udege and a school in the surrounding community. These projects are part of the company’s corporate social responsibility. And I make it a point to be present at these events to ensure promises are fulfilled.

They have also supported our efforts in the area of security. But perhaps, most crucial is the emphasis on environmental protection. We know that mining can leave devastating ecological consequences if not managed properly. That’s why we mandate a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and agreements on environmental safeguards before any operation begins.

 

How does your approach compare with what is happening across the North- Central region, where mining has been linked to rising insecurity with the area’s vast mineral wealth?

From global experience, wherever mining activities are taking place, some level of insecurity tends to follow, mainly due to competing interests. You saw this play out in Congo, Angola and even in Ghana in years past. It is often not the mining itself but the conflicts that arise around access, ownership and control.

That’s why in Nasarawa, we have tried to learn from those global examples and are proactive. We focus on putting structures in place to minimise conflict and foster cooperation. While I can’t speak in detail about what other states are doing – since I am not directly involved – we do engage with our counterparts across the region to exchange ideas and compare strategies.

Of course we are not immune to challenges as there are occasional disputes over land ownership or resource rights, but we do everything possible to resolve such conflicts peacefully before they escalate. It is this commitment to dialogue, and inclusion that helps us avoid the kind of breakdowns seen elsewhere.

Recently, you said that Nasarawa ranked among the top five performing agricultural states in the country. Can you take us through what is driving that progress and how you are working to ensure sustainability, especially given that such initiatives often fizzle out after the lifespan of an administration?

That’s one area I can speak confidently, even beyond the lifespan of my administration. One of the first things we established was a policy to sustain what works. I made a deliberate decision not to start new projects just for the sake of it; instead, I focused on completing the projects initiated by previous administrations. I wanted to lead by example so that when I encourage others to do the same, I am not asking them to do what I haven’t done.

That approach laid the foundation for continuity. Our hope is that whoever comes after us would maintain that same principle – building on existing programmes instead of discarding them and starting over. Starting from scratch consumes time and resources. Building takes patience; destruction is easy. That’s why I believe in preserving and strengthening successful programmes rather than tearing them down.

Just today, we had a lengthy discussion at the National Economic Council meeting about livestock development. Nigeria previously launched the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) and Nasarawa was selected as the pilot state. That programme was a collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Office of the Vice President and the government of Netherlands.

Now, there’s a new livestock development initiative being driven by the current Federal Ministry of Agriculture, led by Professor Attahiru Jega and launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It is a slightly different approach, but what we are advocating is: Don’t throw away the baby with the bathwater. Let’s identify what aspects of the NLTP are still relevant and incorporate them into the new programme.

That same spirit guides our agricultural strategy in Nasarawa. We are moving at a fast pace and making sure that everyone is carried along. We are fully transparent. Anyone who wants to know what we are doing, whether they are in government or the opposition, is welcome to see it. Who knows who the next governor would be? It is better they understand what is on ground so they can build on it for the good of the people.

 

Last year, you encouraged Nigerians to hold their governors accountable, especially following the significant increase in revenue allocations due to fuel subsidy removal. How is your administration addressing the socioeconomic impact of that reform, particularly the rising cost of living? What specific interventions have you put in place to cushion its effect?

We have rolled out several interventions – some immediate, some long-term. Of course, palliatives are necessary in the short term and we have distributed them. But palliatives are consumed and gone the next day. Our broader focus has been on sustainable solutions that empower people.

One key area is education. We have offered almost free training and skills development programmes. Beyond that, we provide starter packs so that beneficiaries can immediately launch their businesses. These kinds of interventions became possible because of increased revenue. Before now, we simply didn’t have the resources.

We have also invested heavily in infrastructure, especially in agriculture. We are opening up rural areas, not through borrowing but by utilising our increased funds from improved allocations. We have made sure to be transparent about how those resources are used. Take the markets for example. The market in Nasarawa has been gutted by fire twice. The one in Keffi burned down more than five times. Each time, traders lost everything. I personally knew people who were completely wiped out by these incidents. That’s why we have rebuilt and upgraded the markets to reduce those risks. Now, even if there’s an accident, it won’t result in total loss. That’s sustainability in action – protecting livelihoods over the long term.

We have also expanded our support in agriculture. We just completed a rice harvest on our state-owned farm. A significant portion of it was distributed free of charge, not just for consumption but also for planting so that people can grow their own crops. We have supplied tractors and other inputs across the state to boost productivity.

For civil servants, we provided housing opportunities that many never thought were possible. We sold them homes on flexible terms. We also addressed long-standing issues with gratuities. We cleared 15 years of unpaid entitlements – dating back to 1996 through to 2012 – including for families of deceased retirees who never received their benefits.

These are the kinds of interventions we have prioritized, not just easing the burden of subsidy removal but building lasting value for our citizens. Yes, the removal created hardship, but it also addressed massive corruption in the oil sector and redirected resources back to the government, where they can be used for development.

Today, both federal and state governments are executing major projects that would have been impossible without this increase in revenue. That’s the balance we are trying to strike – relief today and resilience for tomorrow.

 

Nigerian politics is often seen as a zero-sum game. You have always said you are not the typical Nigerian politician. And your re-election was hotly contested. Tell us about your approach to governance and how you have included people – even those who opposed your re-election in 2023. How inclusive would you say your administration is in Nasarawa?

For us, once the election was over and I was sworn in, we moved on. We started appointing people – even those from opposition parties – into our administration. In our most recent round of appointments, we included individuals from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Zenith Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Now, some may say, “Oh, he appointed someone from the PDP, maybe that person has left their party.” But that’s not the case. Just like you see with Wike at the federal level, some people can serve in government without defecting from their parties. That’s the kind of inclusiveness we practise. These individuals haven’t joined our party – they are still in the opposition – but we appointed them because we believe in working together for the good of the state.

Even within our own party, there were people who didn’t support us during the election, but we have forgiven them. We have moved on. The election is over and God has given us victory. There’s no need to be vindictive. Why fight a battle that God has already settled? That’s my personal philosophy, and that’s how we are moving forward – by building unity, not deepening division.

 

The North-Central recently got its own development commission. What are your expectations for it, and what level of collaboration currently exists among governors in the region, especially in the light of shared challenges like insecurity?

Your question is quite timely, actually. In just a few minutes, I will be meeting with all the North-Central governors right here. That’s part of the ongoing conversation we have been having since the commission was established and signed into law by Mr President.

After it was passed, we held a meeting with our legislators and all the governors in the zone to ask: “Now that we have this commission, how do we make the most of it?” We have agreed to approach it collaboratively rather than every state going its own way. We are looking at common development strategies, whether in agriculture, infrastructure, housing or security.

Security, in particular, is a shared concern. Criminals often cross state lines. They commit attacks in one state and flee to another. So we are working on establishing joint security operations across our states. Even if one state isn’t directly under attack, we want every state to be at alert and ready to protect its people. That’s the kind of collaboration we are building.

As far as the commission is concerned, we plan to sit down together and come up with a joint roadmap – one that reflects the needs and aspirations of all the states in the region. We will hand that over as our collective recommendation, saying, “Here’s what we believe this commission can and should focus on.” Of course, they can adapt and build on it, but it will provide a strong, united starting point.