APC Wins Bauchi Constituency Bye-Election in Major 2027 Litmus Test
BAUCHI — The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won the Shira 1 (Disina) State Constituency bye-election in Bauchi State, held on Saturday, 19th September.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the APC candidate, Yakubu Ali, the winner after he polled 5,846 votes to defeat the candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), who secured 5,225 votes.
The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) finished a strong third, garnering 3,701 votes.
A Tense Political Battleground
The election was a highly charged affair, pitting supporters of the APM-led state government against the federal-ruling APC, which is aggressively seeking to maintain its footprint in the Northeast state.
Security agencies faced significant challenges during the poll. The Bauchi State Police Command arrested dozens of suspects armed with guns, cutlasses, and sticks across various polling units.
According to security reports, the suspects attempted to disrupt the voting process.
Implications for the 2027 General Elections
Though a localized state assembly poll, the contest holds profound strategic significance for the broader political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The APC lost control of Bauchi State in 2019 when Governor Bala Mohammed, then flying the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), won a decisive victory.
However, following an intractable crisis within the PDP, Governor Mohammed defected to the APM earlier this year, altering the state’s political dynamics.
Determined to recapture Bauchi, the APC invested heavily in the constituency election to test and re-energize its grassroots support base.
Defeating Governor Mohammed’s new party on his home turf serves as a major morale booster for the APC as both parties brace for the 2027 showdown.
Background to the Poll
The Disina constituency seat became vacant following the resignation of its former representative and Assembly Majority Leader, Saleh Hodi Jibrin. Jibrin stepped down to contest the chairmanship of the Shira Local Government Council under the APM platform.
The bye-election was widely regarded as a critical test of grassroots dominance. Backed by high-profile campaigns led directly by Governor Mohammed, the APM fought fiercely to retain the seat.
The APC’s triumph is being celebrated by supporters as a shift in local momentum, demonstrating the party’s resilience against state-backed machinery.
Presidential media spokesman Bayo Onanuga shared the result of the polls with a terse message: “APC TAKES BAUCHI IN 2027!”
