Seven aspirants battle for Bauchi APC governorship ticket as primary holds under heavy security

Tight security was deployed at the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat in Bauchi on Thursday as seven aspirants squared off in a keenly contested governorship primary election ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The seven-man contest features former Governor Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar against frontline aspirants including former Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Dr. Bala Wunti, and Dr. Nura Manu Soro. Others in the race are Alhaji Kabiru Baba Maji, Baba Abubakar Sulaiman, and Yakubu Yakubu Abdullahi.

The APC governorship primaries are taking place across several Nigerian states today, May 21, with ad hoc delegates drawn from local government areas expected to participate and elect the party’s flagbearers.

The field was reduced from eight aspirants after a high-profile withdrawal on the eve of the exercise. Senator Shehu Buba Umar, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, formally withdrew from the primary, citing alleged breaches of the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act, and constitutional provisions guiding internal democracy. In a letter dated May 10, 2026 and addressed to the APC Ward Chairman of Jama’a/Zaranda Ward in Toro Local Government Area, the senator alleged that anti-democratic forces within the party had taken over its structures and were manipulating the process to impose predetermined outcomes.

The primary is being conducted through a direct voting format. Bauchi was among at least 10 states where aspirants resisted pressure to step down and rejected consensus arrangements, insisting on testing their popularity at the polls.

Among the leading contenders, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar has established strong grassroots structures, particularly in the Northern and Central Senatorial Districts, through humanitarian activities. Former Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, who ruled the state from 2015 to 2019, still enjoys strong support from political allies and beneficiaries.

The primary is deeply shaped by the politics of zoning and regional balance. Stakeholders from Katagum, Misau, and Jama’are say Bauchi North has been sidelined for decades despite its contributions, noting that the zone last produced a governor over 40 years ago — during the tenure of the late Abubakar Tatari Ali between 1979 and 1983, before the military coup ended the Second Republic. Bauchi South, however, still holds a strong advantage, controlling about 63 percent of the state’s votes.

A major point of contention is the zoning of the party’s ticket, with aspirants from Bauchi North expressing dissatisfaction over the long dominance of Bauchi South, which has held the governorship since 1999.

Appeals arising from today’s primaries are expected to be heard on May 24.