The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has selected a former Deputy Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Alhaji Abubakar Garba Zakari, as the running mate to its Bauchi State governorship candidate, Ambassador Shuaibu Ahmed Adamu, ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The party, in a statement issued on Sunday, said the choice of Zakari was aimed at complementing Ahmed’s experience in public administration, diplomacy, economic affairs and governance with expertise in financial management, debt administration, reserve management, risk management and institutional development.

The Party said the “Ahmed-Zakari” ticket reflects its commitment to competent and integrity-driven leadership, responsible management of public resources and stronger institutions capable of translating Bauchi State’s potential into jobs, investment and improved public services.

It said the proposed administration would focus on sound policy, accountability, competent administration, transparent public financial management, economic opportunities, human-capital development and sustainable development.

The Party assured  that every naira entrusted to government would be treated as a responsibility to the people and managed with prudence and discipline.

Zakari spent nearly three decades at the CBN, rising through various positions to become Deputy Director in the Reserve Management Department.

During his career at the apex bank, he worked on Nigeria’s external reserves, foreign exchange operations, fixed-income instruments, financial analysis and risk management.

He also served at the Debt Management Office (DMO) as Team Leader of the Debt Recording and Management System Unit, where he contributed to Nigeria’s debt-recording and management systems.

His professional experience also includes service as Technical Assistant and Financial Adviser at the Nigeria Customs Service and as Consultant on Debt and Fixed Income Instruments at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.

The Statement  disclosed that  Zakari had also facilitated professional training and capacity-building programmes involving institutions such as the World Bank Treasury and the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM).

The party said his experience would be relevant to addressing what it described as Bauchi State’s financial and institutional challenges, including debt management, resource management, fiscal planning, revenue mobilisation, investment, infrastructure financing and public expenditure.

It said Zakari holds an MSc in Quantitative Finance from the University of Westminster, London; a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science from the University of Abuja; and a B.Tech (Hons) in Mathematics from the Federal University of Technology, Yola, He had his primary education at Kobi Primary School, Bauchi, and secondary education at Government Secondary School, Ningi (1980-1983) and Government Science Secondary School, Darazo (1983-1985).

The party said his professional expertise covers sovereign and subnational debt management, reserve management, financial markets, budgeting, financial analysis and institutional capacity development.

It added that the combination of Ahmed and Zakari was intended to strengthen the proposed administration’s capacity for policy formulation, financial discipline, institutional strengthening and effective implementation.

The NNPP said the selection of Zakari completes its candidates’ selection process for the Bauchi governorship election and marks the beginning of the “Shuaibu-Abubakar” ticket’s engagement with stakeholders and citizens across the state.