Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has lost the All Progressives Congress governorship primary election in Bauchi State, paving the way for former governor Mohammed Abubakar to fly the party’s flag in the 2027 governorship poll.

Abubakar secured victory in the keenly contested primary after polling 57,517 votes to defeat six other aspirants in the exercise conducted across the state.

Tuggar came second with 26,001 votes, while Nura Manu Soro scored 13,638 votes. Bala Wunti polled 13,648 votes and Kabir Ma’aji secured 8,157 votes.

Chairman of the APC Governorship and House of Assembly Primary Election Committee in Bauchi State, John Abang, announced the result on Saturday after collation of votes from across the state.

The primary was held a day after the APC National Working Committee postponed the exercise in Bauchi and Kwara states, saying the adjustment became necessary following consultations with stakeholders to ensure a smooth and credible process.

The outcome marks a political comeback for Abubakar, who governed Bauchi State between 2015 and 2019 under the APC before losing his re-election bid to Governor Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Tuggar, who recently resigned as Minister of Foreign Affairs, had entered the race as one of the leading contenders for the APC ticket. His resignation followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive requiring political appointees seeking elective offices in 2027 to step down from their positions.

The contest attracted intense interest within the party, especially after Governor Bala Mohammed’s administration came under increasing pressure from opposition figures ahead of the next election cycle.

While Abubakar’s supporters celebrated the victory, party leaders called on other aspirants to unite behind the APC candidate ahead of the governorship election.