Heavy security presence was observed at the Bauchi State Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress on Thursday as seven aspirants prepared to contest the party’s governorship primary election ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Security operatives were deployed around the APC secretariat in Bauchi to maintain order as party members gathered for the exercise.

The seven aspirants participating in the primary are former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited official, Dr. Bala Wunti; former Governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abubakar (SAN); Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; former Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Yakubu Abdullahi; former aide to the Bauchi State Governor, Kabiru Babama’aji; former Minority Leader of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Baba Abubakar; and former Commissioner for Finance, Nura Soro.

Two aspirants, however, pulled out of the contest before the exercise commenced.

Sunusi Magaji stepped down from the race and declared support for former Governor Mohammed Abubakar, while Senator Shehu Buba, who represents Bauchi South Senatorial District, withdrew over what he described as constitutional breaches in the conduct of the party’s primaries.

Meanwhile, a coalition of political support groups backing Dr. Bala Wunti expressed confidence in the credibility of the primary process and called on APC members to support his candidacy.

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, the Chief Executive Officer of the Bala Wunti Support Organisation, Mukhtar Jarmajo, described Wunti as the candidate best suited to unite the party and provide effective leadership for Bauchi State.

He said the governorship primary represented a critical moment for the future of the state and urged delegates to support what he termed a tested leader with competence, compassion and grassroots acceptance.

Jarmajo also stated that the coalition remained confident in the leadership of the APC at both national and state levels despite controversies surrounding the primary.

“We have confidence in the President and the leadership of the party at the national and state levels,” he said.

On the strategy being adopted by the Wunti camp, Jarmajo declined to reveal details.

“We have our strategy to win the primary election, but we cannot make it public,” he added.