Nigeria, Sept. 17 -- The 2027 governorship election in Nasarawa State will test whether the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) can manage the fallout from its primaries, with Aliyu Wadada and former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu emerging as the principal figures in a contest that could be shaped significantly by former governor Tanko Al-Makura.

Mr Wadada took the APC ticket with the backing of Governor Abdullahi Sule, while Mr Adamu, who finished second in the party's primary, has moved on to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to continue his governorship bid.

But the significance of Mr Adamu's challenge goes beyond the defection of a defeated aspirant.

He has the backing of Mr Al-Makura, a former two-term governor and ...