Abdullahi Adamu (born 23 July 1946) is a Nigerian politician who was the governor of Nasarawa State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is a member and former national chairman of the ruling Party All Progressives Congress (APC).[1][2][3]
Background
Abdullahi Adamu was born at Keffi, Nasarawa State, on 23 July 1946. He attended the Government Secondary School, Makurdi (1960–1962), the Government Technical College, Bukuru (1962–1965) and Kaduna Polytechnic (1965–1968). He returned to Kaduna Polytechnic for a Higher National Diploma in June 1971.[4]
Adamu started work in 1967 with the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria. In 1971, he joined the Northern Nigeria Development Corporation (NNDC) Kaduna. In 1973, he joined AEK, a consultancy firm, where he was Project Manager for construction of Durbar Hotel and Murtala Mohammed Square, Kaduna. In October 1975, he was appointed the Executive Secretary of the Benue/Plateau Construction Company by the Benue/Plateau State government. From February 1980 – September 1983 he was Chairman of the Benue Cement Company, Gboko.[4]
In 1987, he enrolled in the part-time degree programme of the University of Jos, obtaining an LLB (Hons) in 1992. He enrolled in the Nigerian Law School, Lagos where he obtained his BL and was called to the Bar as a solicitor and Advocate of Supreme Court of Nigeria in December 1993.[4]
Early political career
Adamu entered politics in 1977, and was elected to the Constituent Assembly, which drafted the constitution for Nigeria's short-lived Second Republic (1979–1983). He was a pioneer member of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), the first Secretary-General of the NPN in Plateau State from December 1978, and chairman of the NPN in the Plateau from 1982 to 1983, when military rule began again. In 1994, he was appointed to the National Constitutional Conference by General Sani Abacha's administration. In March 1995, Adamu was appointed a minister of state of the Works and Housing ministry, holding this position until November 1997.
In December 2003, Adamu welcomed Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom on a visit to Karu, where she was entertained by cultural troupes.[5]
Adamu promised to make Nasarawa famous with the State's solid mineral natural resources and tourist attractions such as the Farin Ruwa wamba Waterfalls and the flowing Eggon hills.[6]
He backed construction of the Farin Ruwa Falls Hydro-Electric plant, visiting South Korea in 2004 and later awarding the engineering contract to the South Korean firm Yooshing Engineering.[7]
In September 2005, he launched the School Feeding Programme in the State of Nasarawa, which aims to provide a fortified nutritional supplement to primary school children.[8]
Subsequent career
After the end of his two-term governorship, Adamu became Secretary, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In November 2009, a group of prominent PDP members stated that they would support his candidacy in the 2011 elections for the Nasarawa West Senate constituency.[9]
Adamu was the PDP candidate for the Nasarawa West Senatorial seat in the April 2011 elections.[11]
In an interview in February 2011, he dismissed the EFCC case, saying it was based on "mere allegations", and said it would not affect his candidature.[12]
In the event, he was elected with 121,414 votes, while his closest rival, retired General Ahmed Abdullahi Aboki of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), polled 93,050 votes.[13]
In March 2022, Abdullahi Adamu was appointed national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party, the ruling and majority party in Nigeria.[14]
In July 2023, Abdullahi Adamu resigns as APC National Chairman.[15][16]
^Abaribe was elected as a member of the PDP but switched to the APC in May 2022.
^Abbo was elected as a member of the PDP but switched to the APC in November 2020.
^Akpan was elected as a member of the PDP but switched to the YPP in July 2022.
^The PDP's Ekpenyong was elected senator in 2019 but a Court of Appeal partially annulled the results and called a supplementary election in the affected areas. Ekpenyong won the ensuing rerun election and was sworn-in again in January 2020.
^Oduah was elected as a member of the PDP but switched to the APC in August 2021 before returning to the PDP in April 2022.
^Jika was elected as a member of the APC but switched to the NNPP in June 2022.
^Bulkachuwa was elected as a member of the APC but switched to the PDP in November 2022.
^Gumau was elected as a member of the APC but switched to the NNPP in May 2022.
^The PDP's Douye Diri was elected senator in 2019 but resigned in February 2020 after winning election to become Bayelsa State Governor. Cleopas won the ensuing bye-election and took office in December 2020.
^The PDP's Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo was elected senator in 2019 but resigned in February 2020 after winning election to become Bayelsa State Deputy Governor. Dickson won the ensuing bye-election and took office in December 2020.
^ abIn April 2022, Adamu and Kyari resigned from the Senate after taking APC party offices the month prior.
^The PDP's Rose Okoji Oko was elected senator in 2019 but died in March 2020. Jarigbe and fellow PDP member Stephen Odey fought in court over the ensuing by-election's PDP nomination; Odey won both initial court decisions and the by-election before taking office late in December 2020. However, Jarigbe later won several court challenges which declared him the legitimate PDP nominee and thus senator. Jarigbe took office in September 2021.
^Nwaoboshi was elected as a member of the PDP but switched to the APC in June 2021.
^Alimikhena was elected as a member of the APC but switched to the PDP in June 2022.
^The APC's Adedayo Clement Adeyeye was elected senator in 2019 but the NASS Election Petition Tribunal awarded and Court of Appeal affirmed the win to Olujimi. She took office in November 2019.
^Onyewuchi was elected as a member of the PDP but switched to the LP in June 2022.
^Due to disputes over alleged irregularities, the APC's Benjamin Uwajumogu was not sworn in until July 2019. Uwajumogu died in December 2019 leading to a bye-election. After disputes, Ibezim was awarded the bye-election victory and took office in April 2021.
^Due to disputes over the alleged forced declaration of his election, Okorocha was not sworn in until June 14, 2019.
^Shekarau was elected as a member of the APC but switched to the NNPP in May 2022 then to the PDP in August 2022.
^Babba Kaita was elected as a member of the APC but switched to the PDP in April 2022.
^Aliero was elected as a member of the APC but switched to the PDP in May 2022.
^Abdullahi was elected as a member of the APC but switched to the PDP in June 2022.
^The PDP's Dino Melaye was elected senator in 2019 but Adeyemi petitioned against the results and the NASS Election Petition Tribunal annulled the results and called a new election. Adeyemi won the ensuing rerun election and took office in December 2019.
^The APC's Adebayo Osinowo was elected senator in 2019 but died in June 2020. Abiru won the ensuing bye-election and took office in December 2020.
^Akwashiki was elected as a member of the APC but switched to the SDP in July 2022.
^The APC's David Umaru was elected senator in 2019 but the Supreme Court awarded the APC primary win to Musa making him senator. He took office in July 2019.
^Balogun was elected as a member of the PDP but switched to the APC in May 2022.
^The APC's Ignatius Datong Longjan was elected senator in 2019 but died in February 2020. Daduut won the ensuing bye-election and took office in December 2020.
^The APC's Abubakar Shehu Tambuwal was elected senator in 2019 but a Court of Appeal awarded the win to Abdullahi Danbaba. He took office in November 2019 as a member of the PDP but switched to the APC in April 2022.
^Bwacha was elected as a member of the PDP but switched to the APC in February 2022.
^ abcPrior to inauguration, the APC's Zamfara votes were voided due to improper holding of party primaries. Thus the PDP runners-up took office. All three (Anka, Hassan Muhammed Gusau, Yaú) switched to the APC in June 2021. In February 2022, Muhammed Gusau resigned to become Zamfara Deputy Governor.