The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed June 20, 2026, for the by-election to fill the vacant position for Nasarawa North Senatorial District seat.
The seat became vacant following the death of Senator Godiya Akwashiki in December 2025
Beyond filling the vacancy left by Akwashiki, who served from 2019 to 2025, is the fact that the poll holding in about two weeks, has quickly evolved into a strategic battleground for political parties jostling for relevance ahead of the 2027 general elections and for some of the most prominent politicians in the zone to test their popularity.
The race is not just about replacing a senator; it is about testing party structures, managing internal divisions, and signaling strength in a zone historically resistant to the ruling party’s dominance.
Nasarawa North Senatorial District comprises three local government areas: Akwanga, Nasarawa Eggon, and Wamba. Following Akwashiki’s death, stakeholders across the zone, including Governor Abdullahi Sule of Akwanga LGA, reached a unanimous decision to zone the senatorial ticket to Nasarawa Eggon, the late senator’s hometown. This consensus reflects the long-standing political norm in the state of rotational power-sharing among the LGAs within the zone, aimed at managing ethnic and religious diversity and maintaining intra-party cohesion.
The zoning decision immediately narrowed the field of contenders and intensified lobbying within Nasarawa Eggon. For the All Progressives Congress (APC), the ruling party in the state, zoning also served as a tool to manage ambitions and present a united front.
However, as history in Nasarawa politics shows, consensus at the stakeholder level does not always translate into harmony at the grassroots, especially when primary elections produce aggrieved aspirants.
The major parties are fielding candidates with deep electoral experience, making the by-election a contest of political heavyweights rather than political novices.
APC: Danladi Halilu Envulanza
The APC picked Danladi Halilu Envulanza, the longest-serving Secretary of the National Judicial Council (NJC), as its candidate. Envulanza hails from Nasarawa Eggon and brings technocratic credentials and federal experience to the race. His selection aligns with the zoning arrangement and positions the APC to leverage the incumbency advantage of the state government.
Envulanza is not new to electoral contests. He ran for the same Senate seat in 2023 on the APC platform, but lost to the late Akwashiki, then of the SDP. That history is both an asset and a liability: he understands the terrain, but he also carries the burden of a previous defeat.
Labour Party: Labaran Maku
Former Minister of Information Labaran Maku has been affirmed as the Labour Party’s candidate. Maku is a veteran politician with a strong base in Nasarawa Eggon. He won the LGA during the 2015 governorship election under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) but lost it to Emmanuel Ombugadu in 2019 under the same governorship contest. His political resilience and ability to mobilize are well known.
Maku’s candidacy is also tied to 2027. He has already been affirmed as the Labour Party’s senatorial candidate for the 2027 general elections. Winning the by-election would boost his momentum and position him to challenge Governor Sule, who is expected to be the APC’s senatorial candidate for Nasarawa North in 2027. But Maku’s path is complicated by a factional split within the Labour Party.
PDP: Emmanuel David Ombugadu
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has fielded Emmanuel David Ombugadu, the party’s 2023 governorship candidate and a two-time House of Representatives member for the Akwanga/Nasarawa Eggon/Wamba federal constituency from 2011 to 2019. Ombugadu is aligned with the Wike faction of the PDP and remains a central figure in Nasarawa’s opposition politics.
NDC: Architect Ishaya Dodo
Architect Ishaya Dodo from Akwanga local government area is flying the flag of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). While the NDC lacks the structure of the APC, PDP, or Labour Party, Dodo’s presence adds another layer to the contest and could affect vote distribution, especially if the major parties fail to consolidate their bases.
The by-election will test INEC’s preparedness and the political climate in Nasarawa. Akwashiki’s death created a vacuum, but the contest to fill it has exposed the underlying tensions and ambitions that will define the state’s politics in the next cycle.