Beatrice Gondyi Bauchi
The Bauchi State Governor has described the sweeping victory of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) in the recent local government elections as a clear demonstration of the people’s confidence in his administration and a warning signal to opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The governor stated this while administering the oath of office to the newly elected chairmen of the 20 local government councils, alongside the oath of office and allegiance to a newly appointed commissioner and six special advisers.
He expressed gratitude to Allah for the successful conduct of the elections and congratulated the newly elected council chairmen and appointees on their victories and appointments.
According to him, the consistent conduct of local government elections since his administration assumed office in 2019 demonstrated its commitment to strengthening democracy at the grassroots.
He noted that three local government elections had been conducted under his administration, in 2020, 2024 and 2026. He said the ruling party had won all chairmanship positions in the elections.
The governor said the APM secured all 20 chairmanship seats and 319 of the 323 councillorship positions contested across the state.
He described the result as an indication of the acceptance of his administration’s policies and programmes by the people of Bauchi State.
He, however, noted that unlike the previous two local government elections, which were contested under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the latest election was contested under the APM.
He said the outcome had demonstrated that although the APM was relatively new and smaller than the PDP, it had emerged as a formidable political platform.
“The overwhelming victory of the APM in this local government election is a warning signal to opposing and doubting parties that the opposition parties do not stand a chance of making any impact during the forthcoming 2027 elections,” he said.
The governor attributed the party’s victory to what he described as his administration’s visible record of development across the 20 local government areas.
He highlighted infrastructure development, noting that more than 3,000 kilometres of roads had been completed out of the 5,000-kilometre target set by the administration.
According to him, the remaining projects would be completed before the end of the administration, subject to the availability of resources.
He said the administration had also undertaken extensive urban renewal and expansion, including the construction of more than 1,000 kilometres of urban roads aimed at reducing traffic congestion, improving security and facilitating access to schools, hospitals and other essential services.
On rural connectivity, the governor said his administration, in collaboration with international development partners and the Federal Government, had constructed hundreds of kilometres of rural roads to connect farming communities with major markets.
He said the projects were designed to improve transportation, facilitate agricultural trade and open up rural communities for economic development.
The governor also identified security as a major priority of his administration, saying the relatively peaceful environment in the state had helped to attract investors and international organisations.
He claimed that Bauchi had secured more than $5.7 billion in investment commitments, attributing the development partly to the state’s improved security environment.
He said the state’s ability to host national and international conventions, forums and missions was evidence of growing confidence in Bauchi.
On institutional development, the governor said his administration had reconstructed, upgraded and equipped the secretariats of all 20 local government councils to improve grassroots governance and service delivery.
He also highlighted investments in healthcare, saying the administration had constructed and upgraded primary healthcare centres across the state, including in rural communities.
According to him, more than 1,000 primary healthcare centres of different categories had been developed in collaboration with international partners.
In education, the governor said the administration had embarked on the renovation and construction of primary and secondary schools as part of efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children.
He added that the state government had also supported candidates sitting for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations to reduce the financial burden on parents and ensure that children from disadvantaged backgrounds were not denied educational opportunities.
The governor further said his administration had intensified efforts to transform agriculture and improve the economic prospects of rural communities, stressing the importance of agriculture to the state’s development.
He urged the newly elected council chairmen and political appointees to justify the confidence reposed in them by the people by prioritising service delivery, accountability and grassroots development.
He also called on them to work in harmony with the state government to ensure that the dividends of democracy reached communities across the state.
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