By Khalid Idris Doya
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Bauchi State, Capt. Muhammad Bala Jibrin, has accused former Governor Isa Yuguda and Health Minister Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate of moves to foist ex-Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar on the party as its 2027 governorship candidate.
Jibrin, who contested the APC governorship ticket in the past, made the allegation at a press briefing held at the NUJ Secretariat in Bauchi on Monday. He claimed the two political heavyweights were behind efforts to influence the party’s internal process in favour of Abubakar.
“Some forces within the APC are trying to short-change the people of Bauchi by imposing an unwanted candidate on them,” Jibrin said. “But the electorate will resist any attempt to bring back a leader they rejected in 2019.”
He argued that Abubakar, who governed the state from 2015 to 2019, had failed to deliver during his tenure and should not be given another chance.
“What unfinished business does he have in Government House? Bauchi people have tried him, tested him, and rejected him,” he stated.
The APC chieftain cited the health sector as an example of alleged neglect under the former administration. He said 38 Bauchi indigenes trained as doctors in Egypt under a state scholarship scheme were abandoned after graduation and denied jobs in state hospitals.
The students, trained at Ain Shams and Alexandria universities, cost the state about $3.42 million—roughly N5 billion at current rates, according to Jibrin. He said one female graduate nearly lost her MBBS certificate over an unpaid $8,000 balance caused by an extension of her studies after childbirth.
He alleged that while the state government had spent about $90,000 on her training, it refused to clear the balance. The issue, he said, was resolved after Borno Governor Babagana Zulum paid the amount during a private trip to Egypt.
“Where MA refused to pay, a neighbour with a large heart stepped in. The certificate was later handed over to the doctor in Abuja by the Minister of Foreign Affairs,” Jibrin said.
He described the incident as embarrassing for Bauchi and evidence of insensitivity on the part of the former administration.
Jibrin also accused Abubakar’s government of mismanaging pension payments, workers’ welfare, education, and agriculture. He claimed pensioners endured hardship during verification exercises, while civil servants faced delays in salaries and allowances.
According to him, bailout funds, Paris Club refunds, and other federal allocations received between 2015 and 2019 were not properly accounted for. He further alleged that several road projects were abandoned, including those in Federal Low-cost, and the Jos Road through Zaranda Hotel to Miri.
Addressing Yuguda directly, Jibrin asked if he was comfortable with the loss of the N5.5 billion invested in the medical training programme. He urged the former governor to reconsider supporting Abubakar’s return.
Turning to Prof. Pate, Jibrin recalled his exit from the APC to the PRP after the 2018/2019 primaries and questioned his current alignment with Abubakar. He warned that backing the former governor could damage Pate’s reputation.
“We bled enough. Do not kill us. Doctors save lives. You should be aiming higher—GCFR or at least GCON,” he said.
Jibrin vowed that stakeholders across Bauchi’s 20 local government areas would resist any arrangement to return Abubakar to power. He promised to release a follow-up statement detailing alleged financial mismanagement during the ex-governor’s administration.
“Allah does not sleep,” he declared, adding that the people of Bauchi would hold both Yuguda and Pate accountable if they pushed Abubakar on the state.
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