In an interview on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily, Mustapha claimed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state did not offer anything to the citizens. He further stated that the people of Nasarawa State had already spoken by giving him the mandate.
Mustapha explained that the people of Nasarawa State were yearning for change and that was the reason he had won two out of three National Assembly seats and two out of five House of Representatives seats.
He believed this was proof that the SDP was already a popular choice for the people, and he was only waiting to be sworn in as governor.
He assured viewers that the SDP would win the election, stating that the turnout was expected to be double of past elections. Mustapha emphasized that people preferred to come out more in state elections than national elections because it was closer to them.
He also highlighted that the SDP, being a new party in Nasarawa State, had already proven that people could identify with it and cast votes for the party.
When asked about his chances of winning, Mustapha explained that state elections could change from the National Assembly elections, but he had already done his homework. He mentioned that he was not new to the system, having been a candidate in 2019 with the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and that he and his team had decided to move to the SDP. This, according to him, demonstrated that the wind of power had already been blown, and he was confident that the SDP would take over Nasarawa State.
The governorship election in Nasarawa State is scheduled to take place in 2023. The incumbent governor of the state is Abdullahi Sule, who was elected on the platform of the APC in 2019. The APC has been in power in the state since 2011 when it won the governorship election.
However, the SDP has been making strides in the state, and Mustapha's confidence in his victory reflects the growing popularity of the party in the region.