Damaturu, Yobe State, NIGERIA — Yobe State State Governor, Mai Mala Buni and former Governor Ibrahim Gaidam have officially announced Baba Mallam Wali as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus governorship candidate for the 2027 elections. The decision, reached on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, effectively settles the internal succession debate within the state’s ruling party.
Baba Mallam Wali, the immediate past Secretary to the State Government (SSG), recently resigned his position to focus on his gubernatorial ambitions.
Okay News reports that the endorsement from Gaidam, who is widely regarded as the “political leader” of the Yobe APC, combined with the support of the incumbent Governor Buni, creates a formidable path for Wali ahead of the party primaries.
Wali hails from the Yobe North (Zone C) senatorial district, same as the former Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan. By settling on Wali as a consensus pick, the Buni and Gaidam camps appear to have effectively countered Lawan’s own aspirations for the governorship ticket. The “consensus” strategy is currently playing out in Lagos with Obafemi Hamzat and in Borno with Mustapha Gubio.
With the INEC primary deadline of May 30, 2026, looming, the APC leadership in Yobe is moving to prevent a protracted internal battle that could leave the party vulnerable to the opposition.
