Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
A former Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly has issued a passionate appeal to aggrieved members who have abandoned the ruling All Progressives Congress, urging them to return to what he described as their political home before it is too late.
Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe, who served as Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, made the emotional plea in an interview with journalists in Lafia on Tuesday, saying the defectors had laboured to build a house only to vacate it "at the time you need it most." His intervention followed the resignation of the immediate past Chairman of Toto Local Government Area, Aliyu Abdullahi Tashas, from the APC on Monday evening. Tashas, who hails from Gadabuke Development Area, announced his exit from the ruling party, citing grievances that party leaders have yet to fully address.
Balarabe, who disagreed strongly with the former council chairman's decision, said the APC remains the party to beat in Nasarawa State and across Nigeria, and that the departure of grassroots members could weaken the party's formidable machinery ahead of the 2027 general elections. "You cannot leave the house you have built for another person to inherit," Balarabe said. "APC is our home, it is our party, and our victory is assured by the will of Allah. We will get there. We will deliver our LGA In-Sha-Allah, come 2027."
The former Speaker called for calm among APC members in Toto Local Government Area, urging Tashas to set aside whatever grievances he harbours and opt for dialogue to resolve differences amicably. He specifically appealed to the former council chairman to withdraw the resignation letter he issued and return to the party's fold. "We cannot fold our hands and watch our party lose its members. We cannot fold our hands and allow our people to leave," Balarabe said. "In politics, everyone matters. The grassroots matter because politics is local, this is a fact."
Balarabe's appeal underscores a growing concern within the Nasarawa APC over the steady erosion of its membership base in recent months. The party has lost several prominent figures to opposition parties, particularly the Social Democratic Party, which has emerged as a significant threat to APC's dominance in the state. In July, two members of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly resigned from the APC and defected to the SDP, dealing a blow to the ruling party's legislative strength. The member representing Toto/Gadabuke Constituency, Muhammad Garba Isimbabi, had earlier resigned from the APC and joined the SDP, citing the interest of his people and the state.
The defections are rooted in lingering grievances over the conduct of the APC primaries, which were held earlier this year. Allegations of irregularities, manipulation, and marginalisation triggered a wave of resignations from the party, with several heavyweight politicians quitting the APC in protest. Former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar Adamu resigned from the APC after losing the governorship primary, and later emerged as the governorship candidate of the SDP, introducing a new variable into Nasarawa's political landscape. Former Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development Mohammed Tanimu Sarki, popularly known as Tancy Al-Makura, also quit the party amid the fallout from the governorship primaries.
The crisis within the Nasarawa APC has raised questions about the party's ability to maintain internal cohesion as it prepares for the 2027 general elections. Governor Abdullahi Sule had reportedly adopted Senator Ahmed Wadada as his preferred candidate for the governorship ticket, a move that sparked concerns among other contenders about the credibility of the electoral process. The resulting dissatisfaction has pushed several influential figures out of the party, with some joining the SDP and others aligning with the Peoples Democratic Party.
Political analysts say the defections could significantly alter the dynamics of the 2027 governorship race in Nasarawa State. The APC enjoys the advantage of incumbency and a statewide machinery, while the PDP has a candidate already familiar to voters after a fiercely contested 2023 election. The emergence of former IGP Adamu as the SDP governorship candidate has introduced a three-horse race, with the potential to split the anti-APC vote and create opportunities for the ruling party if it can retain its grassroots support. However, the continued exodus of members could erode the APC's base, particularly in Toto Local Government Area, which has become a hotspot of political realignments.
Balarabe, who has begun grassroots mobilisation for the APC ahead of the 2027 elections, recently donated four million naira to political groups in his hometown of Umaisha as part of efforts to strengthen the party's presence in the area. His latest appeal to defectors is seen as part of a broader strategy to reconcile aggrieved members and rebuild the party's cohesion. The former Speaker stressed that the success of the APC in the area come 2027 depends solidly on unity and peace among party members. "Unity of purpose is paramount for the task ahead of us, and no matter what, we must unite our people to facilitate victory in 2027," he said.
The appeal comes at a time when the national leadership of the APC has also been urging aggrieved members to return to the party, particularly in states where internal crises have threatened its electoral prospects. In Nasarawa, the stakes are particularly high, given the state's strategic importance in Nigeria's North-Central geopolitical zone. The APC won the state in the 2023 general elections, but the growing strength of the opposition, coupled with internal divisions, has made the 2027 contest increasingly uncertain.
It remains to be seen whether Balarabe's plea will yield the desired outcome. Tashas has not yet publicly responded to the call for him to withdraw his resignation, and other defectors have shown little inclination to return to a party they accused of marginalising them. For now, the former Speaker's appeal stands as a last-ditch effort to stem the tide of defections and keep the APC's house intact before the political storm of 2027 arrives.
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