The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Bauchi State has picked former Commissioner for Special Duties and Rural Development, Hon. Faruk Mustapha, as the running mate to its 2027 governorship candidate, Barr Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, SAN.
The choice of Mustapha ends weeks of speculation over who would occupy the deputy governorship position on the APC ticket ahead of the 2027 election.
Mustapha, who confirmed his emergence in an interview with journalists said he had accepted the nomination, describing it as a responsibility to serve the people of the state.
“Yes, I have been nominated as the gubernatorial running mate and I have accepted the nomination. It is a call to service and I can’t reject such a call,” he said.
He added that the confidence placed in him by the party and the people would motivate him to contribute positively to the development of Bauchi State.
“The people know our capabilities and decided to trust us with the responsibility of leadership. We will not fail them,” he said.
The former commissioner, who recently left the Allied People’s Movement (APM) after losing out in the party’s governorship ticket race, said the decision to pair with Abubakar was based on the former governor’s experience and knowledge of governance.
According to him, Abubakar’s previous tenure as governor gives him an advantage in returning to lead the state.
“He is not a newcomer to the job. He knows exactly what to do, and it is only fair to allow him come back to complete the good things he started,” Mustapha said.
Mustapha, who served as Director-General of Governor Bala Mohammed’s 2023 re-election campaign, expressed confidence that the APC would defeat its opponents in the 2027 elections.
The APC State Organising Secretary, Sallau Kafi, had earlier confirmed that the party leadership and its governorship candidate had submitted Mustapha’s name and credentials to INEC for the running mate slot.
