Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has lost the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Bauchi State, paving the way for former governor Mohammed Abubakar to emerge as the party’s candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
Abubakar secured a decisive victory in the keenly contested primary after polling 57,517 votes to defeat six other aspirants in an exercise conducted across the state.
Tuggar came second with 26,001 votes, while Nura Manu Soro scored 13,638 votes. Bala Wunti polled 13,648 votes, and Kabir Ma’aji garnered 8,157 votes.
The Chairman of the APC Governorship and House of Assembly Primary Election Committee in Bauchi State, John Abang, announced the results on Saturday following the collation of votes from all local government areas of the state.
The primary was held a day after the APC National Working Committee postponed the exercise in Bauchi and Kwara States, saying the adjustment followed consultations with stakeholders aimed at ensuring a smooth and credible process.
The outcome marks a political comeback for Abubakar, who governed Bauchi State between 2015 and 2019 under the APC before losing his re-election bid to Governor Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Tuggar, who recently resigned as Minister of Foreign Affairs, entered the race as one of the leading contenders for the party’s ticket. His resignation followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive requiring political appointees seeking elective office in 2027 to step down.
The contest attracted significant attention within the party, particularly as opposition activity intensified ahead of the next election cycle.
Following Abubakar’s victory, party leaders called for unity among stakeholders, urging other aspirants to rally behind the party’s flagbearer ahead of the governorship election.
