Bauchi 2027: Why Support for APC Governorship Candidate Is Growing – Salisiyyah Amana Founder

From Paul Orude Bauchi

The 2027 governorship ambition of former Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, is attracting renewed attention among some residents and political supporters in the state, according to the founder of the Salisiyyah Amana Hon. Salisu Sabo.

Abubakar, who served as governor from 2015 to 2019, recently secured the All-Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket for the 2027 election, setting the stage for a possible return to the Bauchi Government House.

His bid, however, has faced opposition from some residents and political groups, particularly those who remain critical of his administration.

But Sabo, a strong supporter of the former governor and founder and Director-General of Salisiyyah Amana Support Group for MA Abubakar for Governor 2027, said public perception of Abubakar was gradually changing as residents compared his four-year administration with the performance of the present government.

Speaking with journalists at an event marking the 100th day of the Salisiyyah Amana Support Group on Tuesday, Sabo said many people who criticised the former governor while he was in office were now having the opportunity to reassess his record.

“The Salisiyyah Amana worked round the clock for him because he had done it before. People are now seeing the difference between the present administration and the past administration, and they are judging it by themselves,” he said.

Sabo, a former aspirant for Bauchi Federal Constituency, argued that one of the major challenges faced by Abubakar was poor communication of the achievements of his administration.

According to him, while critics were quick to highlight the shortcomings of the former government, there were not enough people within the administration and the APC to effectively communicate its achievements to the public.

He also attributed some of the criticism against Abubakar to political rivalry and internal divisions within the APC.

Sabo recalled that the APC came to power in Bauchi in 2015 after 16 years of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rule, saying many party members were eager to secure political appointments and positions after years in opposition.

“We came hungry at that time and everybody wanted to be somebody. We took power from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP after 16 years, but there was impatience,” he said.

He maintained that the internal crisis within the APC contributed significantly to the party’s defeat in the 2019 governorship election.

“Bauchi is traditionally a PDP state. If not for the internal crisis, the story might have been different,” he added.

Sabo also urged residents to consider the financial circumstances inherited by the Abubakar administration when assessing its performance.

He said the former governor inherited a backlog of unpaid salaries, gratuities and other financial obligations from the previous administration.

“When Mohammed Abubakar came into government, he inherited many things, including a backlog of gratuities and salaries. The previous government had struggled to pay salaries. But within the shortest possible period, he adjusted the balance sheet and was able to do a lot,” he said.

The movement’s founder further argued that Abubakar’s performance should not be directly compared with that of the present administration without considering the resources available to each government.

He claimed that the state’s revenue during Abubakar’s tenure was significantly lower than what the state receives today.

“At that time, Bauchi was getting about N6 billion or thereabout. Today, the state is receiving figures approaching N46 billion to N60 billion. You cannot compare what Mohammed Abubakar did with limited resources with what can be done with the resources available today,” he said.

Sabo also listed education and agriculture among the areas where supporters believe the former administration made significant contributions.

He cited interventions in the education sector and the distribution of fertiliser and improved seedlings to farmers as examples of what he described as the administration’s achievements.

“He has done a lot in education and agriculture. In agriculture, many people even gave him awards. Within four years, he improved the fortunes of the state in terms of fertiliser and seedlings,” Sabo said.

For the Saalissiya Amana Movement, the renewed interest in Abubakar is not merely about returning a former governor to office but about giving residents an opportunity to reassess his four-year record.

Sabo argued that the former governor should be judged based on the four years he actually spent in office and the resources available to his administration at the time.

“He spent only four years, but people are looking at him as if he spent eight years. Now people are beginning to understand what he achieved with the resources available to him at that time,” he said.

He said the growing calls among some supporters for Abubakar’s return were driven by what they described as unfinished projects and policies from his previous administration.

The renewed debate over Abubakar’s record is expected to remain part of Bauchi’s political conversation as preparations for the 2027 election gather momentum.

Whether the former governor can convert the renewed support into a successful political comeback remains uncertain.

For now, however, his supporters are seeking to reshape the conversation around his four-year tenure and persuade voters to reassess his record against the circumstances under which his administration operated.