Maiduguri Erupts in Celebration as Zulum Returns with APC Consensus Candidate Gubio
The Maiduguri witnessed a massive outpouring of support on Friday as thousands of residents lined the streets to Governor Babagana Umara Zulum and his endorsed successor, Engr. Mustapha Gubio.
The jubilant crowd stretched from the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport Maiduguri through major roads leading into the city, bringing movement to a standstill as supporters celebrated the governor’s return.
Governor Zulum and his entourage arrived from Abuja following a high-level meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima, where Engr. Gubio was formally presented as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidate for the 2027 governorship election. The Vice President, a former governor of Borno State, reportedly endorsed Gubio during the closed-door session.
Addressing supporters at the Government House, Zulum described the turnout as a reflection of unity and political maturity in the state.
“This homecoming is a testament to Borno’s unbroken unity and political maturity,” the governor said, reaffirming his confidence in Gubio as the right choice to continue the administration’s development agenda.
Zulum had earlier unveiled Gubio as his preferred successor after purchasing the party’s Nomination and Expression of Interest forms under the APC platform. He explained that the decision was aimed at sustaining the progress achieved by his administration since assuming office in 2019.
The governor’s delegation from Abuja included key political figures such as Deputy Governor Umar Usman Kadafur, APC Deputy National Chairman Ali Bukar Dalori, former Governor Maina Ma’aji Lawan, and Senators Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Mohammed Ali Ndume, and Kaka Shehu Lawan.
Also present were the Minister of Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari, the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, members of the National Assembly, and other party stakeholders.
The event signals early political alignment within the APC in Borno State ahead of the 2027 elections, with party leaders rallying behind a consensus candidate to maintain continuity in governance.
Maiduguri Erupts in Celebration as Zulum Returns with APC Consensus Candidate Gubio