Ex-Gov Abubakar Defeats Tuggar To Win Bauchi APC Governorship Ticket

Former Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar has defeated former Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar to win the All Progressives Congress governorship ticket in Bauchi State ahead of the 2027 election.

The result puts Abubakar back at the centre of Bauchi politics, eight years after he left office, and sets up another major contest with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state.

Abubakar Wins With 57,517 Votes

The APC primary was held on Friday, May 22, after an earlier postponement that had kept aspirants and party members waiting for the final outcome. At the end of voting, Abubakar polled 57,517 votes to defeat six other aspirants.

Tuggar, who left President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet to pursue the Bauchi governorship ticket, came second with 26,001 votes. Bala Maijama’a Wunti followed with 13,648 votes, while Nura Manu Soro secured 13,638 votes.

Other aspirants also recorded votes across the state. Kabir Baba Ma’aji scored 8,157 votes, Baba Abubakar Suleiman got 7,688 votes, while Yakubu Yakubu Abdullahi polled 7,181 votes.

John Bassey Abang, who chaired the APC governorship and house of assembly primaries committee in Bauchi, announced the result early Saturday morning. He declared Abubakar winner after the exercise was concluded across the participating areas.

A Return Bid For The Former Governor

Abubakar governed Bauchi State from 2015 to 2019 under the APC. He lost his re-election bid in 2019 to Bala Mohammed, who later secured a second term on the platform of the PDP.

His victory in the APC primary means the former governor will now lead the party’s attempt to reclaim Bauchi in 2027. It also means the APC has settled one of the closely watched governorship contests in the North-East, especially because of Tuggar’s entry into the race.

Tuggar’s campaign had drawn attention because he was a sitting minister before resigning to join the governorship contest. His defeat shows that Abubakar still commands a strong structure within the Bauchi APC despite being out of office since 2019.

What Comes Next

The APC will now have to manage post-primary reconciliation among the aspirants and their supporters. In states where primaries are highly contested, the bigger test often begins after the result, when parties try to prevent defections, court cases or protest votes.

For Abubakar, the immediate task is to unite the party behind his candidacy and prepare for a general election fight against the PDP, which has controlled Bauchi since 2019.

The 2027 governorship election in Bauchi is expected to be one of the important races in the region, especially as the APC looks to regain ground in states it previously controlled.

Sources: TheCable, Premium Times, Leadership