By Frank Irad, Lafia
As the 2027 governorship election draws nearer, conversations across Nasarawa State have intensified over who can best step into the large shoes to be vacated by His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule. While some stakeholders frame the debate strictly around zoning, others argue that zoning alone is insufficient. Governance, they insist, demands far more than geographical balancing.
This latter view resonates strongly with the view held by a coalition of respected citizens known as The Nasarawa Professionals, a group comprising seasoned administrators, serving and retired public officers, engineers, lawyers, academics, media practitioners, financial experts and architects.
For them, the future of Nasarawa State requires a leader whose credentials extend well beyond the benefits of zoning arrangements to someone capable of fairly and inclusively representing the interests of the North, South and West senatorial districts through competence, vision and character.
The group also maintains that governance in Nasarawa has evolved. In an era increasingly driven by technology, innovation and global competitiveness, the state needs a leader of equal standing to consolidate existing gains and drive development forward.
Such a leader, they argue, must be intellectually grounded, widely read and academically sound, able to engage meaningfully with a rapidly changing, Gen Z–driven world.
Accordingly, and beyond intellect, character remains paramount. The Nasarawa Professionals believe the next governor must be credible and a person of integrity, whose personal conduct and credibility inspire confidence and galvanise the people toward productive action, not empty rhetoric. This individual must enjoy broad-based acceptance across political divides, religious affiliations and ethnic lines, free from vindictiveness and narrow-mindedness.
They also argue that leadership from 2027 must transcend zoning entirely. The chief steward of the state must deeply understand Nasarawa, its diverse people, their yearnings and their aspirations. Mediocrity, sectional bias or bigotry, they insist, has no place in the leadership of a state with Nasarawa’s strategic importance.
They further argue that the next governor must be global in outlook, with strong local, national and international networks capable of attracting investment and positioning Nasarawa as a development model within Nigeria. Leadership, they note, is not about political patronage or recycling underperformers into sensitive positions, but about assembling capable hands to take sound decisions that drive genuine progress.
In their view, Governor Abdullahi A. Sule understands these dynamics and bears a historic responsibility to help steer the process toward a forward-looking successor with a clear, globally informed vision for development.
After what they describe as a diligent search within the APC, The Nasarawa Professionals conclude that only one individual meets these stringent criteria: Dr. Faisal Shuaib.
And who is Dr Faisal Shuaib one may ask? Dr Faisal Shuaib is an accomplished public health expert with strings of global success. He has also served the state, nation and global community with distinction
While sharing with The Nasarawa Professionals, Dr. Shuaib articulated a compelling vision where he said: “I want Nasarawa State to be the Nigeria’s version of Rwanda, where everything works perfectly. where tribe and religion melt in strength and power”.
This vision, the group says, is matched by substance. A well-read public health physician trained in renowned institutions beyond Nigeria’s shores, Dr. Shuaib brings solid academic credentials and extensive professional exposure.
His local, national and international reach is deep and well entrenched networks the state can leverage to attract global-standard development and position Nasarawa as a political and economic linchpin in Nigeria’s democracy.
Dr Faisal other appeal and quality is that he enjoys mass appeal across political, religious and ethnic divides, widely regarded as a homegrown son who embraces without distinction.
Quiet, gentle, soft-spoken and deeply respectful, Dr. Shuaib has deliberately avoided unnecessary confrontations with co-aspirants, choosing peace and civility over political rancour, a virtue increasingly rare in contemporary politics.
Notably, within a single year, he earned three different awards and recognitions, receiving honours from late President Muhammadu Buhari and, more recently, from the Emir of Keffi, Dr. Shehu Chindo Yamusa III, who conferred on him the prestigious traditional title of Madugun Keffi.
His public health achievements speak volumes across Nigeria, Africa and the global stage, earning him the reputation of a truly “global man.” To The Nasarawa Professionals, Dr. Faisal Shuaib embodies statesmanship, teamwork, and an uncompromising drive for quality and excellence, anchored on inclusion as the pathway to sustainable development.
As the next six months unfold, attention will increasingly turn to political parties, especially the APC and its rivals, on whom they will present as successors to Governor Sule. For those seeking the best for Nasarawa, devoid of sentiment and narrow calculations, the group insists that Dr. Faisal Shuaib stands out, shining unmistakably among his peers.
Ultimately, they acknowledge, the final decision rests with God and with the leadership of the APC, particularly Governor Abdullahi A. Sule. Yet they warn that quality, once recognised and ignored, can be dismissed only at great peril.
Nasarawa 2027, they conclude, is far beyond zoning. It is about credibility, character and competence, not slogans.