By Comr Mustapha Abdullahi
The push around the Katagum-Bauchi dichotomy is a deliberate distraction designed to mislead the general public and to exert undue pressure on the National leadership of the APC.
Framing candidate selection around zoning or sectional sentiment ignores the fundamental reality of Bauchi politics: elections are decided by voter numbers, mobilization, and statewide appeal.
Since 1999, Bauchi South has produced governors not because of any contrived division, but because its larger population translates into higher voter turnout and decisive influence at the polls.
Attempts to override this electoral arithmetic with narrative-driven arguments will only weaken the party’s chances in the general election.
The historical data from INEC is unambiguous. In every governorship cycle since the return to democracy, the candidate who commands the strongest base in Bauchi South has held the advantage, because the zone delivers the largest bloc of votes.
Politics in Bauchi is a game of numbers, and ignoring that reality in favor of sentiment or rotation logic is a strategic error. The National leadership must be guided by verifiable voting patterns and demographic facts, not by manufactured narratives intended to reshape the conversation.
Former Governor M.A. Abubakar, SAN, has repeatedly demonstrated loyalty to the APC even in the face of internal sabotage. In 2019, despite the activities of individuals who now present themselves as defenders of the party at the center, Abubakar still polled over 500,000 votes and lost by a margin of fewer than 5,000 votes.
That performance under intense pressure underscores his resilience, his statewide network, and his ability to mobilize voters across senatorial zones. It is proof that his political capital remains intact.
At present, no aspirant from Katagum Zone, including former Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has shown the electoral base or statewide reach required to win a governorship election in Bauchi.
While zoning debates have their place in internal party discussions, they cannot replace the need for a candidate who can deliver votes. Committing the APC to a candidate without proven electoral strength is a risk the party cannot afford, especially in a competitive state like Bauchi.
The President, as National Leader of the APC, must rely on data-driven analysis and INEC’s documented voting patterns in Bauchi State since 1999. The party’s priority should be victory, not experiments with untested strategies.
The APC must avoid placing Bauchi in the hands of those who lack the capability to win and instead rally behind leaders with demonstrated followership, electoral resilience, and the capacity to deliver for the party and the people of Bauchi State.
Facts are not subject to distortion, and the record shows that the former Minister has been repeatedly involved in conflicts with key stakeholders in Bauchi. His inability to manage grassroots structures effectively has weakened his base and limited his reach beyond narrow circles. The party cannot afford to be swayed by fabrications that divert attention from these critical areas of focus.
Leadership in Bauchi requires someone who can unite stakeholders, maintain party cohesion, and mobilize voters at the grassroots level, not someone whose tenure is marked by internal disputes.
In contrast, M.A. Abubakar, SAN, has remained committed to the APC even after the 2019 election loss. Despite receiving no appointment, he stayed in the party and continued to work for its stability and growth in Bauchi. That level of loyalty under difficult circumstances demonstrates the kind of dedication the APC needs as it prepares for the next election cycle.
His decision to stay and rebuild, rather than abandon the party, has earned him the trust of many members who value consistency over convenience.
With four years remaining to complete what would have been his eight-year tenure, Abubakar’s return offers a clear path for power shift after broad internal consultations.
Long-term discussions within the party can establish a roadmap that respects both continuity and equity, ensuring that Bauchi South completes its turn while preparing for a smooth transition afterward. This approach balances fairness with the urgent need for a candidate who can win and govern effectively.
The noise and hearsay from distractors need to be corrected for the sake of history and posterity. Bauchians deserve to judge leadership by verifiable records, not by recycled social media claims.
During Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar’s tenure from 29 May 2015 to 29 May 2019, his administration focused on fiscal discipline, infrastructure, and human capital development at a time when Nigeria faced its worst recession in decades. The facts below show a government that prioritized completion over propaganda.
In the health sector, the Abubakar administration laid a strong foundation for primary healthcare. Under the EU-UNICEF MNCHN Project, Bauchi paid part of a ₦111.9 million counterpart fund for the renovation of 107 Primary Healthcare Centres, with 40 completed by 2019. The administration also initiated the bidding process for the World Bank IMPACT Project in 2018, which later became a ₦7.5 billion upgrade of 118 PHCs across the 20 LGAs.
In addition, the 2015 SDGs program saw the construction of 19 PHCs with staff quarters, VIP toilets, 33 solar boreholes, 57 hand-pump boreholes, and the provision of six ambulances, one for each of 19 LGAs.
Water and sanitation received deliberate attention. Through a ₦111.9 million counterpart fund with DFID and UNICEF, 300 hand-pump boreholes were constructed in Shira and Toro LGAs.
The administration also installed a solar-powered borehole with a storage tank in Babban Garejin, Azare, while prioritizing urban water supply in the 2019 budget. These projects directly addressed access to clean water in underserved communities.
Agriculture and rural development were central to his economic agenda. Bauchi contributed the highest counterpart funding among the 19 participating states in the World Bank RAAMP, which targeted 115km of rural roads. The ₦2.4 billion Liman Katagum–Luda 19km road was processed under his administration and later flagged off by his successor.
The Fadama III Additional Financing program was also active between 2015 and 2019, providing agricultural inputs and rural roads to boost farmers’ productivity.
Education was another cornerstone. The administration consistently paid the mandatory 50% counterpart funding to access UBEC/SUBEB intervention funds yearly. This resulted in the construction of over 600 new primary and junior secondary schools and the renovation of more than 800 others across all LGAs, all with standardized blue roofs.
About 28,000 desks were distributed to pupils, while specific institutions like Government Girls Secondary School Soro and Government Girls College Special School Kafin Madaki received full-scale upgrades, including a four-storey building, laboratories, and solar lighting.
Infrastructure development was equally significant. A total of 175.312km of roads were approved and constructed at ₦20.487 billion. These included the dualization of the 2.5km Awalah roundabout to Kano road, 11.6km of roads within Bauchi metropolis, and critical rural roads like the 100km Misau–Udubo–Gamawa road with two bridges, the 22km Darazo–Gabchiyari road, and over 50km of Hanafari–Jurara–Garin Babani–Sabon Kafi–Dogon Jeji road.
The rehabilitation of Murtala Muhammed Way and the Misau–Bulkachuwa–Udubo road extension to Gamawa–Zaki further improved connectivity.
On civil service reforms, Governor Abubakar cleared three months of salary and pension arrears inherited from the previous administration before the Federal Government bailout.
For close to two years, regular salary payment became the norm. A BVN-based biometric verification exercise eliminated ghost workers and saved the state about ₦1 billion monthly in recurrent expenditure. A recovery committee was also set up to retrieve looted government properties and funds.
The judiciary and security architecture were strengthened. A new Chief Judge’s Chamber was built, and the High Court Complex Phase II with eight courts reached 70% completion.
On security, the administration synergized with the military, police, and paramilitary agencies to maintain relative peace in Bauchi despite its proximity to the Sambisa Forest corridor. This created a stable environment for development activities to thrive.
In agriculture and the economy, the resuscitation of the Bauchi Fertilizer Company was a major milestone. The plant now supplies both Bauchi and Gombe states, employs hundreds of youths, and generates internal revenue. Five hundred tractors were procured and sold to farmers at a 25% subsidy.
The government also commissioned a shared facility for MSMEs and electrified 22 villages in Barra, Ningi LGA at ₦589.79 million. An interest-free ₦1 billion loan scheme was introduced for traders and artisans to stimulate commerce.
Housing and social welfare were not left out. The administration partnered with the African Nations Development Programme to construct 5,000 low-cost housing units. The Ambassador M.C. Abubakar OVC Vocational College was established as a tuition-free institution, enrolling over 170 students with workshops and an ICT center.
Shadarki Primary Schools in Darazo were also developed as a benchmark for quality primary education.
Financial management under Abubakar was guided by prudence. The 2019 budget stood at ₦196.7 billion, with 60% allocated to capital expenditure at ₦117.5 billion and 40% to recurrent at ₦79.2 billion.
Eighty percent of the first tranche of the ₦47.3 billion Paris Club refund and the ₦15.28 billion bailout fund were used to clear salary arrears. By September 2018, the state’s Internally Generated Revenue had risen to ₦6.8 billion, reflecting improved fiscal discipline.
The administration’s approach to federal projects was proactive. It pre-financed the construction of Federal Government roads worth ₦14.6 billion, with ₦8.9 billion paid to contractors two days before handover. Though the EFCC later froze the state account over this transaction, the governor clarified that the payment was for verified FG road contracts.
This demonstrates his commitment to ensuring Bauchi did not lose out on federal infrastructure refunds.
Tourism and power also featured in the “6-Point Agenda.” The Barra electrification project for 22 villages was commissioned by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, expanding electricity access in rural communities.
The SDGs framework was mainstreamed into the state’s Development Action Plan, aligning Bauchi with global development targets. In recognition of his strategic planning, Abubakar was named Vanguard’s Man of the Year in 2017.
At handover on 29 May 2019, after losing the election to Bala Mohammed, Abubakar vowed not to leave abandoned projects. His 2019 budget deliberately emphasized the completion of ongoing works.
He remains Bauchi’s first governor to lose re-election, having won his first term with 654,934 votes against PDP’s Mohammed Jatau in 2015.
The total documented counterpart funding between 2015 and 2019 runs into billions, including ₦111.9 million for water, billions in UBEC/SUBEB matching grants for over 1,400 school projects, RAAMP commitments, and SDGs matching funds.
The 2018 budget alone had ₦6.672 billion for debt servicing, which often covered counterpart arrears. While the successor government alleged that some counterpart funds were paid without corresponding project completion, such as the Darazo–Gabchiyari road where ₦800 million was spent before redesign, the initiating process and financial commitment began under Abubakar.
The lesson for Bauchians is clear: leadership must be measured by documented achievements, not by rhetoric. Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar’s tenure may not have been without challenges, but the records show a governor who stabilized salaries, expanded infrastructure, strengthened institutions, and ensured Bauchi accessed federal and international funding through consistent counterpart payments.
In an era of political noise, it is only by learning from records that the people can make informed choices for the future of Bauchi State.
I am from Katagum Zone, and I say this without being swayed by the fake narratives being pushed to distort facts and manipulate perception. The truth is clear: at this moment, M.A. Abubakar, SAN, is the candidate with the least baggage and no personal scores to settle, yet he has the capacity to deliver victory for the APC in Bauchi State.
His record speaks for itself—over a million votes earned across the 2015 and 2019 elections, a feat that reflects statewide trust and mobilization beyond senatorial boundaries.
This is not speculation or wishful thinking. It is a documented reality in INEC’s official portal, where the numbers show Abubakar’s consistent electoral strength even under hostile conditions. For a party that needs to win, the choice should be guided by data, not by zoning sentiments designed to divide.
Abubakar has proven he can pull votes across Bauchi, and that is the kind of leadership the APC needs to retain the state.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, must not be misguided or misled by narratives that seek to rewrite Bauchi’s political reality. Since the Buhari era, Bauchi has stood as a home for the APC, and the party’s performance in 2023 confirms it. The bulk of the President’s votes in the state came from Bauchi South, where voter turnout and loyalty delivered decisive margins.
Records from INEC do not lie, and they show clearly which zones carry the weight in elections. Any attempt to override that truth with fabrications will only weaken the APC’s chances.
The leadership of the party must ensure that sentiment and manufactured zoning debates do not overtake facts. Bauchi is too important to gamble with, and the APC cannot afford to hand its structure to voices pushing narratives that ignore electoral arithmetic. Mr. President should be guided by data, not by distractions, so that the party fields candidates with proven capacity to win. Protecting the truth of Bauchi’s voting pattern is the surest way to protect the APC’s hold on the state.
Mustapha, Writes From Azare via mustapha88@gmail.com