2027: Baba Malam Wali Emerges Yobe APC Governorship Candidate

Baba Malam Wali has been declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for Yobe State ahead of the 2027 general elections. The victory came after he won the party’s primary election held on Friday at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Damaturu, polling 236,711 votes—the highest among all aspirants. The APC Governorship Primary Election Committee, chaired by Muttaqah Darma, announced the result, confirming Wali’s victory in accordance with the party’s constitution. His closest challenger, Dr. Abubakar Bukar Kagu, received 9,748 votes, while other aspirants polled significantly fewer votes, with Bashir Sheriff Machina securing 1,894 and Engr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja getting 1,178. Wali, a native of Nguru Local Government Area in Yobe North Senatorial District, previously emerged as the party’s consensus candidate after a stakeholders’ meeting led by Minister of Police Affairs Ibrahim Geidam. His selection may address long-standing calls for the governorship seat to rotate to Yobe North, which has not produced a governor or deputy governor since the state’s creation in 1991. With a background in public service, Wali served as Secretary to the Yobe State Government under governors Ibrahim Geidam and Mai Mala Buni. He also held roles as permanent secretary in various ministries and was recognized in March as Nigeria’s longest-serving Secretary to a State Government by the Progressive Governors Forum. Before his civil service career, Wali worked at the Chad Basin Development Authority and as a social mobilisation officer for the Mass Mobilisation for Self Reliance, Social Justice and Economic Recovery. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he studied in the 1980s.