The political atmosphere in Bauchi State shifted dramatically on Saturday after former Governor Mohammed Abubakar emerged as the winner of the All Progressives Congress governorship primary ahead of the 2027 election.
The result came as a surprise to many party supporters, moreover, the outcome ended the ambitions of former Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, and former NNPC official, Bala Maijama’a A. Wunti.
After several hours of delay, the APC Governorship and House of Assembly Primaries Committee officially released the results in Bauchi.
The committee chairman, retired AIG John Abang, announced that Mohammed Abubakar defeated six other aspirants to secure the party’s ticket for the 2027 governorship race.
According to the announced figures, Abubakar polled 57,517 votes to emerge victorious in the contest.
Meanwhile, Yusuf Tuggar secured 26,001 votes, placing him second in the highly watched primary election.
Other aspirants also recorded notable figures during the exercise. Nura Manu Soro polled 13,638 votes, while Bala Wunti scored 13,648 votes.
In addition, Kabir Baba Ma’aji secured 8,157 votes. Baba Abubakar Suleiman received 7,688 votes, while Yakubu Yakubu Abdullahi polled 7,181 votes.
The primary has since sparked conversations across political circles in the state.
Mohammed Abubakar’s victory also sets up another political battle with incumbent Governor Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Interestingly, Governor Bala Mohammed defeated Abubakar during the 2019 governorship election. At the time, Abubakar contested as the incumbent governor under the APC platform but lost the election.
Meanwhile, Yusuf Tuggar’s defeat has also attracted attention because he was among the early cabinet members who obeyed President Bola Tinubu’s directive.
The former minister had resigned from the federal cabinet before March 31, 2027, to pursue his governorship ambition in Bauchi State.
However, despite his national political profile and strong campaign efforts, Tuggar could not secure enough support to defeat the former governor.
The governorship primary also reflected growing internal competition within the ruling party. Consequently, party leaders may now focus on reconciliation efforts ahead of the main election.
Furthermore, supporters of various aspirants gathered at different locations across the state as results trickled in after the delayed announcement.
