Tinubu’s Group Tells Bauchi APC Guber Candidate, Mohammed Abubakar To Resign
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been urged to replace its Bauchi State governorship candidate, Mohammed Abubakar, ahead of the 2027 election.
Citing his previous defeat as an incumbent governor, the National Patriotic Front for Tinubu (NPFFT), in a statement on Friday, asked Abubakar to voluntarily relinquish the party’s ticket to allow another aspirant to contest the governorship election.
“The NPFFT, after extensive consultations and a careful assessment of the emerging political realities in Bauchi State, is compelled to make this urgent and unequivocal appeal to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The APC must urgently reconsider its gubernatorial candidacy in Bauchi State. We specifically call on Mohammed Abubakar to voluntarily resign as the APC gubernatorial candidate and give the party an opportunity to field a candidate with broader grassroots acceptance, stronger popularity and greater electoral appeal,” the statement read.
The statement was signed by the group’s Director General, Castro Ezama, and National Secretary, Musa Zubairu.
The group said its position was informed by concerns about the APC’s chances in Bauchi. It argued that party structures, financial resources and influential leaders were not enough to secure victory without a candidate capable of attracting voters.Check Voting Info
It said the party needed a flag bearer who could mobilise grassroots supporters, unite members and appeal to voters across political, ethnic, religious and generational lines.
Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2026 provides for the withdrawal and substitution of candidates not later than 90 days before an election. In May, the Federal High Court in Abuja, in a suit filed by the Youth Party, ruled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could not shorten the statutory period by imposing an earlier deadline in its election timetable. The court nullified the affected provisions and ordered the commission to amend its timetable.
In a separate ruling days later, the court affirmed INEC’s authority to issue an election timetable in a suit by the Social Democratic Party (SDP), but also voided certain candidate nomination and substitution deadlines inconsistent with the Act. INEC subsequently appealed the judgments on the grounds that they raised questions about the extent of its authority to coordinate and regulate electoral activities.
