Former Governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the 2027 general elections after winning the party’s primary election held in the state.
The results were announced on Saturday by the chairman of the APC Governorship and House of Assembly Primaries Committee for Bauchi State, retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, John Bassey Abang.
Abang disclosed that the governorship primary was conducted on May 22 and featured seven aspirants.
According to the results announced, Abubakar polled 57,517 votes to defeat other contenders in the race.
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, came second with 26,001 votes, while Bala Maijama’a Wunti secured 13,648 votes.
Nura Manu Soro garnered 13,638 votes, Kabir Baba Maaji polled 8,157 votes, Baba Abubakar Suleiman got 7,688 votes, while Yakubu Yakubu Abdullahi scored 7,181 votes.
Declaring the outcome of the exercise, Abang said Abubakar, having secured the highest number of valid votes cast, was duly returned as the winner of the APC governorship primary in Bauchi State.
He also announced the results of the party’s State House of Assembly primary elections conducted on May 21.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress has affirmed former senator, Halliru Dauda Jika, as its governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Bauchi State.
The exercise took place during the party’s primary exercise held yesterday in Bauchi and monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Chairman of the ADC Electoral Committee, retired General Ishaya Bauka, said the committee was constituted to ensure a transparent and credible process for the emergence of candidates.
According to him, Jika emerged as the party’s sole governorship aspirant and was subsequently affirmed by delegates.
Bauka added that the party’s three senatorial candidates also emerged unopposed and were equally affirmed during the exercise.
In his acceptance speech, Jika thanked party leaders and supporters for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to lead the ADC to victory in the 2027 polls.
“By the grace of God, Bauchi State will become an ADC state in 2027,” he said.
The former lawmaker, who represented Bauchi Central Senatorial District from 2019 to 2023, said the ADC was entering the race with a united structure and committed supporters across the state.
The Bauchi State Chairman of the ADC, Shu’aibu Abdullahi Dankama, expressed confidence in the party’s chances in the forthcoming election, describing the party’s candidates as experienced and capable of challenging the ruling parties in the state.
He said stakeholders unanimously endorsed Jika’s candidacy to strengthen the party’s chances of winning the governorship election.
Among those affirmed by the ADC were Garba Dahiru Salanke for Bauchi South Senatorial District, Abdul Ahmed Ningi for Bauchi Central Senatorial District, and Nazif Gamawa for Bauchi North Senatorial District.
DAILY POST reports that Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar served as governor of Bauchi State between 2015 and 2019 on the APC platform before losing his re-election bid to Governor Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2019.
Jika, on the other hand, contested the 2023 governorship election on the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party before joining the ADC ahead of the 2027 polls.