By Umar Idris Shuaibu
The governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in parts of Northeast Nigeria have reshaped the political fortunes of three former ministers under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, alongside former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, and former Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, all failed to secure their party’s governorship tickets ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While Tuggar suffered outright defeat at the polls in Bauchi State, Pantami and Alkali withdrew from the race in Gombe State, alleging irregularities and lack of transparency in the conduct of the primaries.
Tuggar loses Bauchi APC ticket
In Bauchi State, former Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar was defeated by former governor of the state, Barrister Mohammed Abubakar, SAN, during the APC governorship primary election.
Tuggar had recently resigned his ministerial appointment to pursue his governorship ambition under the APC platform.
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Announcing the result, Chairman of the APC Governorship and House of Assembly Primaries Committee for Bauchi State, retired Assistant Inspector General of Police John Bassey Abang, said Mohammed Abubakar secured 57,517 votes to emerge winner of the exercise conducted on Friday, May 22, 2026.
Tuggar polled 26,001 votes to finish second behind the former governor.
Other aspirants in the race included Bala Maijama’a Wunti, Nura Manu Soro, Kabir Baba Ma’aji, Baba Abubakar Suleiman, and Yakubu Abdullahi.
The outcome marked a major political setback for Tuggar, whose resignation from the Federal Executive Council was seen by supporters as a strategic move to strengthen his governorship bid.
Pantami withdraws under protest
In neighbouring Gombe State, former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, withdrew from the APC governorship primary hours before the exercise.
Pantami, who had earlier rejected the consensus arrangement that produced businessman Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna as preferred aspirant, cited alleged violations of the Electoral Act and failure by party officials to provide necessary information regarding the conduct of the direct primary election.
In a statement issued on behalf of the Pantamiyya Movement by Barrister Ibrahim M. Attahir, Pantami said several letters written to party organs requesting details about accreditation procedures, voting arrangements, and collation centres were ignored.
The former minister argued that the process lacked transparency and failed to meet democratic standards.
According to the statement, Pantami decided to withdraw after consultations with stakeholders and supporters across Gombe State.
The statement further claimed that grassroots party members, particularly youths and women believed to form Pantami’s major support base, were sidelined during earlier National Assembly primaries conducted in the state.
Despite his withdrawal, Pantami urged supporters to remain peaceful and law-abiding, while assuring them that the movement would announce its next political direction in due course.
Sa’idu Alkali also pulls out
Another former minister affected by the Gombe APC primary controversy was former Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, who also withdrew from the governorship race over alleged irregularities.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Umar Jibrin, Alkali said he lost confidence in the credibility of the process following what he described as manipulation and lack of transparency in previous APC primaries conducted in the state.
He alleged that the exercises failed to comply with provisions of the Electoral Act guiding direct primaries and claimed results were allegedly manufactured without genuine voting.
Alkali further accused party officials of failing to provide adequate logistics and equal opportunities to aspirants.
According to him, participating in the governorship primary under such circumstances would amount to endorsing a flawed process.
Although he withdrew from the race, Alkali reaffirmed his loyalty to the APC and appealed to the party’s national leadership to cancel the disputed exercises and organise fresh, credible primaries.
Political signals ahead of 2027
The developments in Bauchi and Gombe have triggered fresh conversations about internal democracy, consensus arrangements, and the growing political uncertainty facing some high-profile aspirants within the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
Political observers believe the outcomes also highlight the influence of entrenched state political structures and the challenges former federal appointees may face when attempting to transition into state-level electoral contests.
While Tuggar’s defeat came directly through the ballot, the withdrawals of Pantami and Alkali reflected deeper concerns over trust, transparency, and internal party processes in Gombe State politics.