The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate for Nasarawa State in the 2027 elections, Senator Ahmed Wadada, has unveiled a five-point development blueprint for the state which he tagged HEART, shortly after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Speaking to journalists after the visit, Wadada used the opportunity to defend the administration’s economic record, arguing that Nigeria’s key macroeconomic indicators have shown clear improvement since Tinubu took office in May 2023.

He pointed to gains in the country’s foreign reserves, the unification of the multiple exchange rate windows, and improvements across the balance of payments, balance of trade and capital market as evidence that the reforms were yielding results, even while acknowledging that there was still considerable work ahead.

He was blunt about how he views critics of the administration, insisting that dismissing its progress entirely reflects either ignorance or outright hostility rather than fair opposition.

Turning to his own vision for Nasarawa, Wadada broke down the HEART acronym as the backbone of his development philosophy for the state. The H stands for human capital development, covering education and health, while the E represents energy and mineral resources, an area he linked to the recent signing of the Electricity Act and Nasarawa’s position as home to Nigeria’s first and second lithium processing plants.

The A stands for agriculture and the green economy, under which he plans to establish three agricultural hubs, one in each senatorial district, built around each zone’s particular farming strengths. The R covers rural and urban development, while the T rounds off the agenda with trade, investment and security.

Wadada positioned himself as a candidate who intends to build on rather than depart from the record of outgoing Governor Abdullahi Sule, crediting the current administration with raising the state’s profile and expanding its economic potential. He also invoked the historical stature of his own Keffi Emirate, noting its ties reaching as far as the seat of federal power in Abuja, as part of his pitch on what Nasarawa has to offer.

He described himself as a grassroots candidate closely attuned to the needs and aspirations of his people, positioning that understanding as central to his readiness for the role.

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