Bauchi agog as Senator Buba formally declares for governor

From Paul Orude, Bauchi

Senator Shehu Buba Umar (Bauchi South) has formally declared his intention to contest the Bauchi State governorship race in 2027 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking during the declaration ceremony, witnessed by thousands of his supporters—including the Shehu Buba Vanguard (SBV)—at Magama Gumau on Saturday, he promised to continue making the necessary sacrifices to move the state forward. He criticised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for failing to utilise the substantial funds made available to the state by the President Bola Tinubu administration properly.

Senator Buba explained that, as the senator representing Bauchi South, he has initiated and executed numerous people-oriented projects, such as roads, solar-powered boreholes, and schools, across the constituency and beyond. He assured the crowd that more such projects would be executed once he becomes governor.

He called for a level playing field in the APC primaries and stressed the need to unite the party in the state ahead of the general elections.

The aspirant noted that he has single-handedly ensured the party in the state is well-funded through personal donations of money and vehicles to officials and party faithful since 2023.

Buba’s declaration makes him the second politician to officially aim for the governorship election in 2027. Earlier, Musa Bala Wunti, a retired civil servant, declared his interest.

Others expected to declare include Professor Ali Pate, the current Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; and former Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, among others.