Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, was brought to a standstill on Friday as thousands of jubilant supporters trooped out to welcome Governor Babagana Umara Zulum and his anointed governorship candidate, Engr. Mustapha Gubio.
The mammoth crowd stretched from Muhammadu Buhari International Airport to major roads leading into the metropolis, creating a festive atmosphere across the city.
Governor Zulum and his entourage were returning from a high-level meeting in Abuja where he formally presented Gubio to Vice President Kashim Shettima. During the closed-door session, Shettima, a former governor of Borno State, endorsed Gubio as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
Addressing the crowd at the Government House in Maiduguri, Zulum described the homecoming as “a testament to Borno’s unbroken unity and political maturity.”
The governor had earlier unveiled Engr. Mustapha Gubio as his preferred successor after purchasing the party’s Nomination and Expression of Interest forms for the 2027 race under the APC platform.
Zulum explained that Gubio’s emergence was aimed at sustaining the momentum of developmental strides recorded by his administration since 2019.
Members of the governor’s entourage included Deputy Governor Umar Usman Kadafur, APC Deputy National Chairman Ali Bukar Dalori, former Governor Maina Ma’aji Lawan, Senators Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Mohammed Ali Ndume, Kaka Shehu Lawan, and Minister of Agriculture Abubakar Kyari.
Also present were the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, members of the National Assembly, and key party stakeholders.
