Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, and Bala Maijama’a A. Wunti, a former top official of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), have lost their bid to clinch governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 election in Bauchi State.

After delay which ran into hours, AIG John Abang (rtd), Chairman of the APC Governorship and House of Assembly Primaries Committee for Bauchi State, announced the result on Saturday morning.

According to Abang, former Governor Mohammed Abubakar defeated six other aspirants to clinch the ticket.

He announced the results as 57,517 votes for Abubakar, the winner; 26,001 votes for Tuggar, while Nura Manu Soro garnered 13,638 votes.

Other contenders in the race included Bala Maijama’a A. Wunti, who scored 13,648 votes, Kabir Baba Ma’aji with 8,157 votes, Baba Abubakar Suleiman who secured 7,688 votes, and Yakubu Yakubu Abdullahi who polled 7,181 votes.

Daily Trust reports that incumbent Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi had defeated the 2027 APC gubernatorial candidate in 2019.

Mohammed had contested and won the election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Abubakar lost out as an incumbent governor under APC.

Tuggar was among the first set of appointees who complied with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to those pursuing elective positions in 2027 to leave the cabinet before March 31, 2027. (Daily Trust)