The article “APC IN TURMOIL AFTER PRIMARY” by Haruna Yusuf Bauchi presents itself as political analysis but reads more like advocacy against a concluded party process. While every citizen is entitled to an opinion, public debate is better served by facts, not distortion. The emergence of former Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, SAN, as APC’s 2027 gubernatorial candidate followed due process, consultation, and collective agreement.
1. HOW THE CANDIDATE EMERGED
The Bauchi APC governorship nomination was settled at a stakeholders’ meeting convened on Friday, 22nd May 2026, under the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yelwada Gwoshe. Present were all aspirants: H.E. Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, SAN; Dr. Nura Manu Soro; Hon. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; Dr. Bala Maijama’a Wunti; Dr. Yakubu Abdullahi; Arch. Kabir Baba Ma’aji; and Hon. Baba Abubakar Sulaiman.
At that meeting, the position of the President and Commander-in-Chief, H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, as National Leader of the party, was conveyed after wide consultations with stakeholders and relevant agencies. Before the process began, all aspirants had agreed to abide by the outcome of that presidential consultation.
The process that eventually produced M.A. Abubakar, SAN, came at a later stage after two aspirants requested direct primaries, with authentic results from that exercise duly documented and available for public record.
2. RESPONSE TO THE ALLEGED FOUR BAGGAGES
CLAIM: LACK OF GRASSROOTS ACCEPTANCE
FACT: STRUCTURE BEATS SENTIMENT
Elections are decided by votes, not hashtags. M.A. Abubakar, SAN, secured close to 600,000 votes in 2015 and over 500,000 in 2019, losing the latter by fewer than 10,000 votes despite internal party sabotage. Across two cycles, over 1.1 million Bauchi voters have backed him. That is measurable, ward-level support in all three senatorial zones. None of the other aspirants in 2026 has shown comparable statewide vote traction.
CLAIM: TRADITIONAL INSTITUTION FACTOR
FACT: M.A. ABUBAKAR, SAN, UNDERSTANDS AND RESPECTS THE ROLE OF TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS
As a learned luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, M.A. Abubakar, SAN, fully understands the constitutional recognition of traditional institutions as symbols of peacebuilding, custodians of culture, and anchors of community cohesion. Throughout his public service, he has consistently demonstrated respect for royal fathers and community leaders as critical partners in governance, security, and social stability.
Under his leadership, traditional institutions will be strengthened and supported to function more effectively in conflict resolution, grassroots mobilization, and preservation of communal values. The sudden resurfacing of this issue, after years of silence, suggests less a genuine policy concern and more a tactical talking point. It is clear the article centers on marketing certain individuals rather than issue-based campaigning.
Bauchi’s traditional rulers deserve support, not to be used as campaign props. M.A. Abubakar’s record and temperament show he will partner with them, not politicize them.
CLAIM: THE BURDEN OF 2019 DEFEAT
FACT: 2019 WAS A MARGIN, NOT A MANDATE COLLAPSE
A defeat by under 10,000 votes after visible internal fractures points to disunity, not outright rejection. The APC’s lesson from 2019 and 2023 is clear: a divided house loses. That is why reconciliation is now central to the 2027 plan, not a change of candidate.
CLAIM: GENERATIONAL SHIFT DISQUALIFIES ABUBAKAR
FACT: BAUCHI NEEDS CAPACITY, NOT JUST CALENDAR AGE
Youth participation in politics is rising, and that is healthy. But governance is not a function of age alone. Bauchi’s immediate priorities security, IGR expansion, project completion, job creation require experience at the intersection of law, policy, and administration. M.A. Abubakar brings that mix: former Permanent Secretary, former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, former Governor, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He will not require a learning curve.
Every ticket is a balance. The roles of running mate, cabinet, and campaign directorates are designed to reflect generational and regional breadth. The APC is building that balance.
3. ON OTHER ASPIRANTS AND THE “YOUTH” ARGUMENT
The article heavily promotes Dr. Nura Manu Soro while also referencing Dr. Yakubu Adamu and Senator Halliru Dauda Jika. For clarity: both Dr. Nura Manu Soro and Dr. Yakubu Adamu served as Commissioners for Finance in Bauchi State at different intervals under the administration of Governor Bala Mohammed. Their service records are acknowledged.
Dr. Soro’s contribution to the APC’s 2023 presidential performance in Bauchi is noted and appreciated. But the governorship requires more than campaign ability. It demands executive experience and legal-administrative competence from day one. On that score, M.A. Abubakar’s civil service, legal, and executive record stands distinct.
The party did not settle on Abubakar to exclude younger members. It did so to break the cycle of post-primary sabotage that cost the APC victory in 2019 and 2023, and to present a candidate with proven statewide appeal and governing experience.
4. THE WAY FORWARD FOR BAUCHI APC
-RECONCILIATION OVER RECRIMINATION*
A reconciliation process is active. M.A. Abubakar has begun direct outreach to fellow aspirants, and subcommittees are being formed to broaden inclusion across LGAs and interest groups.
-CONFRONT THE REAL PROBLEM: DISUNITY
The APC’s defeats in Bauchi in 2019 and 2023 were not caused by lack of candidates or weak manifestos. They were caused by internal battles that erupted after primaries, with factions withholding support, sabotaging mobilization, and trading blame instead of building a united front. Each cycle, the party entered the general election already fractured, allowing the opposition to exploit disaffection within our ranks. Changing candidates every four years has not solved that problem. It has only deepened suspicion and weakened party discipline. The antidote is not a revolving door of aspirants. It is unity of purpose, enforced by a reconciliation process that begins now and carries through to election day.
That is why the party has settled on M.A. Abubakar, SAN. Beyond his experience, internal data shows he retains the highest name recognition and the most entrenched voter base in the current field, with measurable support across Bauchi South, Bauchi Central, and Bauchi North. He has contested statewide twice, secured over a million cumulative votes, and maintains structures in all 20 LGAs. Rallying behind a known quantity with proven reach prevents the post-primary sabotage that cost us in 2019 and 2023. Unity around a single candidate allows the party to focus resources on voter contact, issue messaging, and election protection, instead of managing another cycle of internal recrimination.
-CAMPAIGN ON RECORD AND COALITION
The 2027 election in Bauchi will not be won by slogans or recycled grievances. It will be won through deliberate coalition-building that unites the party’s base with critical voting blocs across all three senatorial zones, from farmers’ associations and market unions to professional groups and youth networks. Issue-based messaging will be central to this effort.
-The campaign will focus on security of lives and property, expanding internally generated revenue without overburdening citizens, completing abandoned projects, and creating sustainable jobs through agriculture, solid minerals, and small enterprise. Organizational strength from ward to state level will drive voter mobilization, with polling unit committees, LGA structures, and stakeholder caucuses working in sync to protect votes and communicate the APC’s plan directly to citizens.
-M.A. Abubakar, SAN, brings the temperament and track record to lead this coalition. His legal background as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria gives him command of constitutional processes, policy drafting, and institutional reform. His executive experience as a former Permanent Secretary, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, and Governor means he understands the bureaucracy, the budget cycle, and how to translate campaign promises into deliverables without a learning curve. That mix of law, policy, and administration is what Bauchi needs now to stabilize governance, reconcile competing interests, and run a disciplined, inclusive campaign that can win and govern from day one.
STATEMENTS CLARIFICATION
The statements made by APC gubernatorial candidate M.A. Abubakar, SAN, upon his return from Abuja on Friday and those he later made during his BBC Hausa Service interview are consistent. This is expected, because no governorship candidate across the federation emerged as APC flagbearer without the support and endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
The process that produced M.A. Abubakar reflected that same national party consensus. We have said it repeatedly that fake news, distorted facts, and deliberate misrepresentation of facts about M.A. Abubakar, SAN, will dominate the 2027 election cycle. The public should therefore weigh every claim against verifiable records and the documented process that produced the APC candidate in Bauchi State.
CONCLUSION
The original article seeks to create a crisis and then prescribe a preferred aspirant as the solution. But party decisions are not overturned by op-eds. The APC has made its choice through consultation and agreement.
M.A. Abubakar, SAN, is open to scrutiny, as every public figure should be. Yet to reduce his candidacy to “four baggages” while ignoring his electoral numbers, administrative record, and the documented primary process is not balanced analysis.
Bauchi State deserves a contest of ideas and records. The APC is preparing for that contest with a candidate who has been tested in office, a reconciliation process that is ongoing, and a platform built on experience and stability.
Danaudi, Writes From Bauchi Via danaudicomrade@gmail.com
