News Editor
By Ibrahim Nasiru
“In the theater of power, when the titans clash, the earth does not just tremble, it realigns.”
The political landscape of Nasarawa North is currently the epicenter of a seismic shift, as the impending 2026 bye-election and the 2027 general elections transform the district into a high-stakes arena of power and legacy.
This “Titanomachy” was catalyzed by the passing of Senator Godiya Akwashiki in late 2025, an event that created a sudden vacuum in the Red Chamber and forced a realignment of the zone’s most powerful figures.
While the 2027 general election remains the ultimate long term prize, the immediate focus has pivoted to the 2026 bye-election, which many stakeholders, including the Nasarawa North Political Consultative Forum, argue should be conceded to Nasarawa Eggon LGA to ensure regional equity and justice.
Adding a dramatic new dimension to this scramble is the return of Labaran Maku, the former Minister of Information and Deputy Governor.
In a strategic move on March 31, 2026, that has redefined the race, Maku defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the same platform held by the late Akwashiki.
His entry consolidates the massive Eggon voting bloc and offers a potent vehicle for constituents seeking to honour the late Senator’s legacy.
Maku’s bid is framed as a “rescue mission,” answering a grassroots “clarion call” for visionary representation to address what his supporters describe as a long standing leadership deficit in the district.
The stakes were raised even further on April 16, 2026, when Governor Abdullahi Sule officially endorsed Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada as his preferred successor for the 2027 governorship seat.
This “Muje Maha” (Let’s Go Together) gambit has created a domino effect in the North; with the governorship seat seemingly heading to the West, Northern stakeholders are now more determined than ever to secure a Senatorial representative with the national heavyweight status required to protect the zone’s interests.
Having paved the way for Wadada, Governor Sule has himself officially accepted the call to contest the 2027 Nasarawa North Senatorial seat, following a formal endorsement from the APC Elders Forum on April 15, 2026.
Amidst these shifting alliances, the field remains crowded with other heavyweights like Silas Agara, the former Deputy Governor and National Directorate of Employment (NDE) boss, who has expressed strong confidence in his ability to win the seat. Alongside perennial contenders like Danladi Envulu’anza, these figures represent a district divided by ethnic pride, party loyalty, and personal ambition.
As the 2026 bye-election serves as a volatile opening act, the scramble for Nasarawa North has become more than just a political contest, it is a high-stakes chess match for the very soul and future representation of the Nasarawa North Senatorial zone.
Chief Ibrahim Nasiru
A Public Affairs Analyst writes from Abuja
