Bauchi APC Deputy Chairman, Other Executives Defect to PRP Ahead of 2027
The Bauchi State APC chapter faces a major setback as its deputy chairman, Hon. Ibrahim Makama Misau, and other executives defect to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP). Citing a lack of internal democracy and imposed candidates, the move strengthens the PRP ahead of the 2027 governorship election. This shift is expected to reshape the state's political landscape.
The All Progressives Congress in Bauchi State has lost its deputy chairman, Ibrahim Makama Misau, alongside several local government and ward executives who defected to the Peoples Redemption Party ahead of the 2027 elections.
The departing APC officials announced their move to the PRP in Misau Local Government Area, citing alleged candidate imposition, poor leadership and a lack of internal democracy within the ruling party.
Misau, a former two-term member of the House of Representatives for the Misau/Dambam Federal Constituency, accused the APC leadership of neglecting grassroots members and failing to run an inclusive party structure.
Many of the defectors reportedly came from Ajili/Gugulin Ward in Misau. The ward is also associated with Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate.
At a gathering coordinated by Maiwada Bakoji Misau and Shehu Dubagari Misau, the former APC members declared their support for Senator Shehu Buba Umar, the PRP’s 2027 governorship candidate.
The defectors described their decision as a “political awakening” intended to promote justice, fairness and inclusive leadership in Bauchi State.
“We are joining the PRP because politics should be about service to humanity, empowerment and meaningful development,” the group said.
They praised Umar’s grassroots engagement and pledged to mobilise support for the PRP across Bauchi ahead of the 2027 general election.
The group also claimed that thousands of APC members had left the ruling party across the state. However, the defectors did not provide independently verifiable figures to support the claim.
Welcoming the new members, Umar assured them of equal opportunities and active participation in the PRP. He said the party remained committed to justice, transparency, unity and people-centred leadership.
However, the Bauchi APC rejected suggestions that the defections had substantially weakened its structure.
In a response issued by its spokesperson, Shehu Dauda, the Bauchi APC said its organisation remained active across the state’s 20 local government areas and 323 wards.
Dauda described the defectors as a handful of individuals whose departure should not be presented as evidence of a wider change in Bauchi’s political direction.
The defections add to the political realignments taking place in Bauchi ahead of the 2027 elections. Their eventual effect on the governorship contest, however, will depend on whether the PRP can convert the new members’ claimed grassroots influence into measurable electoral support.