Recent governorship primaries across parts of Nigeria, particularly in the Northeast, have once again highlighted the difficult political terrain many former federal appointees face when attempting to transition from national appointments into state-level electoral politics.
The experiences of former ministers such as Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, Saidu Alkali, and former Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) executive Bala Maijama’a Wunti have reignited conversations over whether visibility and influence at the federal level automatically translate into political control within home states.
While Tuggar and Wunti lost the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Bauchi State, Pantami and Alkali withdrew from the Gombe governorship race over alleged irregularities and concerns surrounding the credibility of the process.
The developments have again reinforced a long-standing political reality in Nigeria, that federal appointments may provide national recognition, but state politics remains deeply rooted in grassroots structures, local alliances, political loyalty networks, and internal party dynamics.
Unlike federal appointments, where technocratic competence, loyalty to the presidency, or professional expertise often play major roles, governorship contests are largely influenced by ward-level mobilisation, community relationships, political patronage systems, and years of sustained grassroots engagement.
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Many politicians who spend years operating within Abuja’s administrative and policy circles often gradually lose direct contact with local political networks needed to survive competitive elections back home.
In Bauchi State, immediate past Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet to pursue his governorship ambition under the APC platform. However, he lost the primary election to former Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar.
Announcing the results, Chairman of the APC Governorship Primary Election Committee, retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, John Bassey Abang, declared that Mohammed Abubakar secured 57,517 votes to emerge as the party’s candidate.
Tuggar polled 26,001 votes, while former top NNPC executive Bala Maijama’a Wunti finished third with 13,648 votes.
Wunti, a prominent technocrat and businessman, had built a 34-year career within the Nigerian oil industry, serving in several strategic leadership positions before retiring from the NNPC Limited.
In neighbouring Gombe State, former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, and former Minister of Transportation, Senator Saidu Alkali, both withdrew from the APC governorship primary before the exercise was concluded.
The two former ministers cited alleged violations of the Electoral Act, lack of transparency, and concerns over the credibility of the direct primary process.
Pantami, through a statement issued by the Pantamiyya Movement, said his team was denied critical information regarding accreditation procedures, collation centres, and voting arrangements.
Alkali also alleged that previous APC primaries conducted within parts of Gombe State lacked transparency and failed to comply with democratic standards.
Despite the controversies, the APC Governorship Primary Election Committee declared Dr. Jamilu Isiyaku Gwamna winner of the exercise with 247,161 votes.
Professor Pantami scored 12,120 votes, while Senator Alkali secured 11,612 votes.
Speaking with ‘The Historica Nigeria’, senior political scientist at Bayero University Kano (BUK), Professor Kamilu Sani Fagge, said many politicians who secure federal appointments often neglect grassroots political structures in their home states.
According to him, many appointees mistakenly assume that occupying influential federal positions automatically guarantees political loyalty back home.
“Most of them forget the people and political stakeholders at home. They disconnect from the grassroots unless they need political support,” Professor Fagge said.
“And people observe these things closely. They may remain silent, but they do not easily forget.”
He stressed that political success goes beyond public profile, elite exposure, or impressive credentials.
“As a politician, it is not always about distributing money. It is about maintaining relationships with people through projects, empowerment, employment opportunities, support for youths, assistance to the elderly, and other forms of engagement,” he said.
Professor Fagge explained that politicians who sustain such relationships over time often build strong grassroots loyalty capable of supporting their ambitions during elections.
“By doing so, people will make sure you succeed in whatever political position you aspire to,” he added.
He further noted that many politicians mistakenly assume national popularity automatically translates into grassroots political strength, whereas state politics is often controlled by deeply entrenched local interests and long-standing party structures.
The political scientist also warned that politicians who remain politically inactive within their states while enjoying federal appointments may struggle to regain local relevance when seeking elective offices.
“Those hiding in Abuja until they develop political ambition should understand that people are becoming more politically conscious,” he said.
He pointed to recent APC primaries where aspirants with strong academic qualifications and elite exposure lost to candidates considered more connected to grassroots communities.
“In politics, it is not always about who has the best curriculum vitae. It is about who can deliver, fulfill promises, and positively impact the lives of the people,” he stated.
Professor Fagge further advised public office holders to use their positions to create broader social impact rather than focusing only on personal or family interests.
“Even in appointments, politicians should endeavour to help society because what they earn is too significant to benefit only themselves and their immediate families,” he added.
The situation, according to political watchers, is not entirely new in Nigerian politics.
In Kano State, prominent legal practitioner and former senior official of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Inuwa Waya, also faced similar political realities during the 2023 governorship contest.
Despite his national exposure, experience, and perceived political influence, he lost the APC governorship ticket to Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, who was then serving as Deputy Governor under the administration of the immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Chairperson of the Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
As preparations for the 2027 general elections intensify, the experiences of some former ministers and federal appointees are once again reinforcing a familiar lesson in Nigerian politics, that national prominence does not always guarantee political victory at home.