Time for M.A. Abubakar to Return to Government House
A Case for the Rebirth of Bauchi Through Experience, Restraint and Institutional Leadership
By Umar Duguri
At a time when Bauchi State is once again approaching a defining political crossroads, the question confronting its citizens is not merely who should occupy Government House, but what qualities the next governor must possess to move the state into a new phase of development.
Among the political figures whose records are being revisited ahead of the 2027 governorship election is Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, SAN, popularly known as M.A. Abubakar, who governed Bauchi State from 2015 to 2019.
For his supporters, the former governor's proposed return is not simply a political comeback. It represents an opportunity to restore what they describe as a culture of restraint, institutional governance, fiscal responsibility, reconciliation and peaceful political engagement.
Whether one agrees with that assessment or not, his record deserves to be examined beyond political slogans and partisan narratives.
A Governor Who Already Knows Government House
M.A. Abubakar is not approaching the governorship as an outsider.
He previously served as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Bauchi State before becoming governor in 2015. His four-year administration therefore combined legal and public-sector experience with executive responsibility.
That experience matters.
Governance is considerably different from running a private enterprise. A governor must simultaneously manage public institutions, civil servants, security, education, healthcare, infrastructure, local governments, traditional institutions and scarce public resources.
The experience of having sat in the governor's office, made difficult decisions and dealt with the machinery of government provides a form of institutional knowledge that cannot simply be acquired from a textbook or a boardroom.
This is one reason supporters believe Bauchi should reconsider M.A. Abubakar's political proposition.
The Question of What He Left Behind
Perhaps one of the most frequently discussed aspects of the Abubakar administration is the condition of the state's finances at the point of transition.
In June 2019, Abubakar's media team stated that his administration left ₦11.6 billion in the state government's account, describing the money as a refund relating to projects undertaken on behalf of the Federal Government.
That claim was disputed by the incoming administration, making the financial circumstances of the transition a subject of political controversy.
There was, however, another important dimension to the dispute.
Abubakar subsequently explained in court that approximately ₦8.5bn–₦8.9bn released shortly before handover was paid to contractors for infrastructure projects, and that the funds were connected to a Federal Government refund for projects undertaken by the state. The EFCC disputed aspects of his explanation.
For a publication committed to responsible journalism, those competing accounts cannot simply be erased.
But neither should the broader record of infrastructure spending be ignored.
The Abubakar administration presented a 2019 budget of ₦196.7 billion, allocating approximately 60 per cent — ₦117.5 billion — to capital expenditure, with emphasis on infrastructure, education, health, agriculture, water supply and youth and women's empowerment.
The political argument for Abubakar's return therefore rests not only on what supporters say he left in the treasury, but also on the assets, projects and institutional structures his administration says it established.
An Administration That Governed During Difficult Economic Years
M.A. Abubakar assumed office in 2015 at a period when Nigeria was entering a difficult economic period.
Oil prices had fallen sharply, federal revenues were under pressure and states dependent on Federation Account allocations were facing severe fiscal constraints.
Yet his administration continued to budget for capital projects while dealing with salaries, pensions and other recurrent obligations.
In an interview during his tenure, Abubakar explained that much of the first Paris Club refund received by Bauchi was used to clear salary arrears, noting that the state and local governments had inherited outstanding wage obligations.
This is an important part of the historical record because governance should be assessed within the economic circumstances in which decisions were made.
The Politics of Restraint
Perhaps the less measurable but equally significant element of Abubakar's political identity is his temperament.
His supporters have consistently presented him as a politician who preferred restraint to confrontation.
That description is not entirely without documentary support.
During his tenure, Abubakar publicly spoke about reconciliation with political opponents and described those involved in political disagreements as “our children”, maintaining that he was prepared to welcome them back rather than permanently treating them as enemies.
He also spoke openly about his desire for peace and development in Bauchi and said he had pursued reconciliation through political leaders, traditional rulers and other influential figures.
That approach offers an important lesson in an increasingly polarised political environment.
Politics does not have to end in permanent enmity.
A governor can disagree with an opponent without declaring war on the person's family, community or supporters.
A political disagreement does not have to become a social conflict.
Forgiveness as a Political Virtue
There is another dimension to Abubakar's supporters' argument: his willingness to forgive.
Politics inevitably produces disagreements, betrayals and disappointments. The test of leadership is sometimes not how a person responds when everything is going his way, but how he responds when people who once stood with him turn against him.
Supporters of the former governor point to his reluctance to pursue politics through personal vengeance and his repeated emphasis on reconciliation as evidence of a forgiving disposition.
That may not always make for spectacular political headlines.
But it can make a difference in governance.
A governor who does not permanently convert political disagreements into personal wars may find it easier to bring opposing interests around the same table.
For a state as politically diverse as Bauchi, that quality deserves consideration.
An “Unblemished” Record — A Claim That Must Be Tested
Among Abubakar's supporters, one of the strongest descriptions of his tenure is that he left office without a record of personal enrichment or vindictive politics.
That is a political claim, and like every claim about public office, it should be subjected to evidence.
It is more responsible to say that his supporters regard his personal record as clean and his approach to public office as restrained, rather than presenting “unblemished” as an uncontested fact.
The distinction matters.
A serious political discussion should not require exaggeration.
M.A. Abubakar has a public record that can be examined. His budgets, projects, appointments, policies, court proceedings and administrative decisions are part of the historical record.
If the evidence supports his supporters' assessment, the record should speak for itself.
The Case for a Second Opportunity
The strongest argument for Abubakar's return may therefore not be that he was perfect.
No administration is.
It is that experience can produce maturity.
A former governor returning to office would come with knowledge of what government looks like from the inside, an understanding of the limitations of state finances and a clearer appreciation of the relationship between political stability and development.
Four years outside Government House also provide something else: perspective.
A second administration, if it happens, would not need to reproduce 2015–2019.
It could correct weaknesses, retain successful policies and introduce a more ambitious development agenda.
That is the concept of political renewal.
Not simply returning to the past, but learning from it.
Bauchi Needs Reconciliation, Not Permanent Political Warfare
The state's political environment has become increasingly competitive.
Political competition is healthy in a democracy. Permanent hostility is not.
Bauchi requires leaders capable of bringing together people who disagree.
It needs a government where political affiliation does not determine access to opportunity, where criticism is not automatically treated as betrayal and where former political opponents can eventually work together for the public interest.
This is where Abubakar's reputation for political restraint and reconciliation could become relevant to his campaign for a return to Government House.
His supporters believe he has demonstrated that he can absorb political pressure without turning every disagreement into a personal confrontation.
That is a quality worth debating seriously.
The Real Test in 2027
Ultimately, M.A. Abubakar should not be judged merely by nostalgia.
His supporters should demand that he present a clear programme for a new Bauchi.
What would he do about unemployment?
How would he strengthen education?
What would be his strategy for agriculture and industrialisation?
How would he improve healthcare?
How would he manage the state's finances?
What would he do differently from 2015–2019?
How would he ensure that public resources produce measurable results?
And, perhaps most importantly, how would he unite a state whose politics has become increasingly competitive?
These are the questions that should define his campaign.
A Return, But Not a Repetition
The proposition before Bauchi is therefore bigger than “bring M.A. back.”
It should be:
Bring back experience — but improve it.
Bring back institutional knowledge — but combine it with new ideas.
Bring back political maturity — but match it with measurable development targets.
Bring back reconciliation — but strengthen accountability.
Bring back fiscal discipline — but make every naira work harder for the people.
That is the difference between a political comeback and a political rebirth.
Conclusion: A New Chapter for Bauchi
M.A. Abubakar's supporters believe that his temperament, experience, record of public service, commitment to reconciliation and understanding of government make him capable of opening a new chapter for Bauchi State.
His critics are entitled to scrutinise his record and challenge that proposition.
That is democracy.
But the debate should be conducted on facts rather than insults.
The 2027 contest offers Bauchi an opportunity to examine not only who has the loudest political machinery, but who can provide credible leadership, build institutions, protect public resources, maintain peace and create a development agenda capable of surviving beyond one administration.
For those who believe M.A. Abubakar deserves another opportunity, the message is straightforward:
His return should not be about settling old scores. It should be about building a better Bauchi.
A return to Government House should mean a return to service.
A return to experience should mean a renewal of purpose.
And a return to leadership should ultimately be measured not by political celebrations, but by what happens to the lives of ordinary people across the 20 local government areas of Bauchi State.
The question before Bauchi is no longer simply whether M.A. Abubakar can return.
It is what kind of Bauchi he would build if he does.