Former Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar (SAN), has formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election, promising a tenure defined by greater efficiency and tangible results.
Abubakar made the pledge in Abuja after receiving his All Progressives Congress (APC) nomination form from the MA Abubakar Strategic Committee. He described his renewed ambition as a collective aspiration, not a personal quest, driven by widespread calls from across the state.
“This ambition is not personal — it is a collective aspiration,” the Senior Advocate of Nigeria said. “I am ready to serve with greater focus, efficiency, and impact if given the mandate once again.”
Reflecting on his 2015–2019 tenure, Abubakar acknowledged inheriting a state weighed down by debt and salary arrears but noted verifiable progress through prudent management. His administration, he said, cleared salary backlogs during a national recession, removed ghost workers from the payroll, and recovered looted assets, including vehicles and properties. A Public Property and Funds Recovery Tribunal was also established to institutionalise anti-corruption efforts.
On infrastructure, Abubakar cited the award of contracts for over 175 kilometres of road projects worth more than ₦20.4 billion, including key dualisation and rehabilitation works across Bauchi metropolis, Misau, Azare, Toro, Darazo, and Jama’are. Investments in electricity and water supply exceeded ₦6.5 billion, covering Gubi Dam rehabilitation, new reservoirs, and hundreds of boreholes.
In education, he said his administration renovated and built hundreds of classrooms, trained thousands of teachers, and upgraded institutions such as Government Girls Secondary School Soro and Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic. Scholarships, girl-child education, and support for orphans were also prioritised.
Abubakar further noted that by the end of his tenure in May 2019, his government left substantial funds in state accounts: ₦11.8 billion, ₦4.5 billion, ₦5.7 billion, and $60 million from a World Bank RAMA loan after counterpart payments, having cleared all salaries and pensions for that month.
“We are not where we want to be, but we are certainly far from where we used to be,” he said. “If re-elected, I pledge to build on these foundations and deliver more inclusive, transformative governance.”
