Borno State Governor Prof. Babagana Zulum has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima after Engineer Mustapha Gubio emerged as the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate for the 2027 elections in Borno State.
Speaking after the party’s affirmation ceremony in Maiduguri on Thursday, Zulum described Gubio’s emergence as divinely ordained rather than the outcome of political scheming. He commended Tinubu and Shettima for ensuring a peaceful and consensus-driven process.
“What we saw today is the will of Almighty Allah,” Zulum told party delegates and supporters. “Allah, in His infinite wisdom, gives power to whom He wills.”
The governor said the smooth conduct of the APC primary reflected growing internal cohesion within the ruling party in Borno, one of the APC’s strongest bases in the North-East.
“I want to convey my deepest appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and my boss, Senator Kashim Shettima, for all the support that ensured the consensus leading to the emergence of Alhaji Mustapha Gubio,” he said.
Zulum credited both leaders with creating an enabling environment for rancour-free primaries and said their commitment to internal democracy had strengthened party unity.
Gubio emerged as the consensus candidate after consultations among party stakeholders, political leaders, and influential blocs in the state. The affirmation ceremony at the defunct Kashim Ibrahim College of Education was supervised by Borno APC primary election committee chairman Chief Emma Eneukwu.
Vice President Shettima, who attended in person, called for reconciliation and unity among party members. “There is no victor, no vanquished in this contest. It is Allah that gives power to whomever He wills at His appointed time,” he said. He urged aggrieved members to set aside differences for the sake of peace, stability, and Borno’s future.
The event drew former governors Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Maina Ma’aji Lawan, APC Deputy National Chairman North Ali Dalori, State Chairman Bello Ayuba, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, and other senior party leaders and lawmakers.
In his acceptance speech, Gubio pledged to build on the Zulum administration’s achievements in security, reconstruction, education, agriculture, and human capital development. He said his administration, if elected, would sustain efforts to rebuild communities affected by insurgency and expand programmes for poverty reduction and youth empowerment.
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“I am particularly grateful to my mentor and benefactor, His Excellency Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, for his unwavering support and mentorship,” Gubio said. He also thanked Tinubu and Shettima for their leadership in stabilising the North-East.
Gubio outlined plans for post-insurgency recovery and social welfare, including Resettlement Mega Hubs for displaced persons and refugees. He promised continued investment in education, vocational training, healthcare, rural electrification, water supply, and agricultural expansion. He also pledged zero tolerance for corruption and political violence, and expansion of solar-powered electrification and all-year-round farming.
Political observers say Gubio’s emergence signals continuity in APC governance in Borno and underscores Shettima’s enduring influence in the state’s politics as reconstruction continues after years of Boko Haram insurgency.
