Mohammed Abubakar wins APC Bauchi primary

Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar secured the All Progressives Congress governorship ticket in Bauchi State after the party’s direct primary held on Friday, May 22. The former Bauchi governor was returned winner after polling 57,517 votes, according to results announced early Saturday by John Bassey Abang, the retired assistant inspector-general of police who chaired the APC governorship and House of Assembly primaries committee in the state. The result settled one of the more closely watched APC contests in the northeast after the party had shifted the Bauchi primary from an earlier date. Abubakar now becomes the APC’s candidate for the 2027 governorship election in Bauchi. ### Who announced the result in Bauchi? John Bassey Abang announced the result on Saturday morning after the primary conducted on May 22, Nigerian media reports said. Leadership and Nigerian Tribune both reported that Abang, as chairman of the APC committee for Bauchi, declared Abubakar winner after the collation of votes. The APC had earlier rescheduled its Bauchi governorship primary to May 22, according to a Guardian report on the party’s nationwide primaries. That postponement had left Bauchi among the states still awaiting a final governorship ticket decision as other APC contests were being concluded. ### How big was Abubakar’s margin? (leadership.ng) Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar polled 57,517 votes in the primary, well ahead of his nearest rivals, according to the announced tally. Leadership reported that Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Nigeria’s immediate past foreign affairs minister, received 26,001 votes, while Bala Maijama’a A. Wunti got 13,648 votes. The same report said Nura Manu Soro polled 13,638 votes, with other contenders trailing further behind. (guardian.ng) Witnessngr and Politics Nigeria also reported Abubakar’s victory over six other aspirants after hours of delay before the final announcement. Those reports matched the broad outcome circulating on social media, while adding the committee chairman’s name and the setting of the declaration. (leadership.ng) ### Who is Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar? Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar previously served as governor of Bauchi State from 2015 to 2019 on the APC platform, according to Leadership. His return as the party’s nominee sets up a fresh statewide contest eight years after he left office. (politicsnigeria.com) Daily Trust had listed Abubakar among eight aspirants who obtained forms for the APC primary in Bauchi. The field included Tuggar, Bala Wunti, Nura Manu Soro, Kabiru Baba Ma’aji, Baba Abubakar Suleiman and Yakubu Yakubu Abdullahi, underscoring that the race drew several prominent figures from within the party. ### Why was Tuggar’s defeat closely watched? (leadership.ng) Yusuf Maitama Tuggar entered the race as a high-profile contender after leaving the federal cabinet to pursue the Bauchi governorship, according to Politics Nigeria and other Nigerian outlets. His candidacy had drawn attention because he was among officeholders affected by President Bola Tinubu’s directive that cabinet members seeking elective office in 2027 resign. (dailytrust.com) Punch had earlier described the Bauchi APC contest as a battle among party heavyweights, with Abubakar, Tuggar, Bala Wunti and others seen as major contenders. That made the final margin notable inside the party even before the general election campaign begins. ### What happens next in Bauchi politics? The 2027 governorship election in Bauchi is the next major step after the APC primary, with Abubakar now positioned as the party’s flag bearer. (politicsnigeria.com) Leadership said his nomination gives him a chance to seek a return to office after losing reelection in 2019 to incumbent Governor Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party. (punchng.com) May 24 is also a scheduled date for some remaining APC primary activity elsewhere, including postponed state assembly contests in Zamfara, according to the Guardian’s report on the party calendar. In Bauchi, the immediate milestone is the formal consolidation of the APC ticket around Abubakar ahead of the 2027 campaign. (guardian.ng) (leadership.ng)