The battle for Bauchi State’s 2027 governorship took a new twist on Monday as two influential groups within the All Progressives Congress (APC) openly backed Senator Shehu Buba Umar, positioning him as the party’s strongest weapon against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The groups — Think-Tank for the Dream Bauchi Project and Lawyers for the Cause of Bauchi State — declared that Umar’s candidacy offers the APC its best shot at wresting power, citing his growing grassroots appeal and cross-party acceptance.

In a joint statement issued in Abuja, the groups said the race should no longer be about “trial-and-error aspirants,” but about a candidate with the political capital to defeat the PDP’s entrenched structure.

“Only Shehu Buba Umar has the electoral pull, credibility and momentum to deliver Bauchi to the APC,” the statement said, pointing to what it described as his widening support base, including backing from voters outside the ruling party.

In a direct swipe at the PDP-led administration, the groups argued that Bauchi needs a “clean political break” from what they termed an “exhausted and narrow system” under Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed.

They also dismissed any political advantage the PDP might gain from defections, insisting that Bauchi voters are “too politically conscious to be swayed by mere change of party labels.”

“Defection is not governance. The state is grappling with real challenges that require competence and vision, not political gymnastics,” they said.

The endorsement signals a broader push within APC ranks to consolidate early around a consensus candidate, amid concerns that internal divisions could weaken the party’s chances in 2027.

The groups further commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC national leadership for resisting pressures linked to alleged realignment moves in the state, describing the stance as a boost to party credibility.

They warned that the APC must avoid recycling “diminishing political assets” and instead project candidates capable of energising voters and expanding its electoral map.

Describing Umar as “a unifying force with both intellectual depth and political reach,” the groups said his emergence could reshape the contest and tilt the balance of power in the state.