Governor Abdullahi Sule has thrown his weight behind his former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Abdulkarim Abubakar Kana, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Nasarawa West an early move seen as consolidating political structures ahead of the next election cycle.
The endorsement is widely interpreted as a strategic extension of Sule’s governance philosophy, emphasising continuity, legal expertise, and trusted alliances within the party.
Kana’s steady rise in both state and national politics has been closely tied to the governor’s political machinery. During his tenure as Attorney General in Nasarawa State, he was credited with strengthening legal and institutional frameworks. He was later propelled to the national stage with Sule’s backing as APC National Legal Adviser, where he handled sensitive litigations, offered constitutional guidance, and navigated internal party disputes during a pivotal period.
Building on that performance, Kana advanced further within the party hierarchy to become National Deputy Secretary, solidifying his influence in the APC’s national structure.
Party insiders described Sule’s role in Kana’s ascent as a calculated grooming process rooted in competence and loyalty. “From the state executive council to the national secretariat, Kana’s trajectory has been deliberate and structured,” a senior stakeholder noted.
At the national level, Kana is also believed to enjoy the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and key members of the APC’s National Working Committee factors expected to significantly strengthen his candidacy as internal alignments begin to take shape.
An accomplished academic, Kana is a Professor of Law and former Dean of the Faculty of Law at Nasarawa State University. Analysts said this background enhanced his profile as a technocrat-politician capable of translating policy into effective legislation.
In a related development, Kana is reportedly backing the governorship ambition of Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, pointing to broader coalition-building efforts within Nasarawa’s APC structure ahead of the polls.
Observers believed the convergence of executive endorsement, national party backing, and academic pedigree placed Kana in a strong early position in the Nasarawa West race. However, his emergence is also expected to reshape the ambitions of other aspirants, setting the stage for a competitive primary.
As political momentum builds, Sule’s endorsement underscored a strategic attempt to retain influence beyond his tenure by positioning a loyal ally firmly rooted in both governance and party architecture.
