Major Political Bigwig Dumps Party Ahead of Coming Election

• Former Deputy Governor Sagir Saleh resigned from the APC on August 19, 2026, citing personal reasons in a letter to his local government party chairman
• Two-time APC governorship aspirant Bala Jibrin blamed what he called brazen injustice and candidate imposition for his decision to quit the party
• The departures follow a string of earlier exits from Bauchi APC, even as a reconciliation committee led by ex-Speaker Yakubu Dogara remains active

Three prominent members of the All Progressives Congress in Bauchi State have walked away from the party, adding to a growing list of high-profile exits as reconciliation efforts led by former House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara struggle to contain fallout from the party's 2027 primary elections.

Former Deputy Governor Sagir Saleh, two-time governorship aspirant Bala Jibrin, and Sunusi Kunde, a close associate of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Prof. Ali Pate, are the latest to sever ties with the ruling party.

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Sagir Saleh exits with a formal goodbye

Saleh, who served as deputy governor under former Governor Isa Yuguda, submitted his resignation letter on August 19, 2026, to the APC chairman of Katagum Local Government Area through the Matsango Ward party chairman in Azare.

In a September 7, 2026 report by Legit.ng, Saleh offered no detailed explanation beyond citing personal reasons.

"I write to formally notify you of my resignation from APC due to personal reasons. I would like to thank all the APC party members for the support they showed me while in the party," Saleh wrote.

Bala Jibrin, a former National Auditor of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, handed in his own resignation letter on August 31, 2026, addressed to the APC chairman of Nasarawa/Bakin Kasuwa Ward in Azare, Katagum Local Government Area.

His letter was far more pointed, blaming what he described as "brazen injustice" and the alleged imposition of candidates without meaningful input from party members.

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"The views of our supporters and constituents are apparently of no consequence," Jibrin said after stepping down.

He also declared that he would not back President Bola Tinubu or the party's chosen governorship candidate, former Bauchi State Governor Muhammad Abubakar (SAN), at the 2027 polls, accusing both of failing ordinary Nigerians.

Sunusi Kunde's resignation, dated August 10, 2026, was addressed to the chairman of Beti Ward in Misau Local Government Area. Kunde said he was leaving "with a heavy heart" and thanked party officials for their solidarity since the days of the CPC.

A pattern of departures in Bauchi APC

These three resignations are not isolated incidents. The House of Representatives member for Jama'are/Itas-Gadau Federal Constituency, Bala Kashuri, resigned as far back as May 21, 2026.

Governorship aspirant Tijjani Aliyu also quit, alleging the primaries were predetermined. Senator Shehu Buba of Bauchi South went further, defecting to the Peoples Redemption Party and securing its governorship ticket for 2027.

APC State Publicity Secretary Shehu Dauda sought to play down the scale of the exits, arguing that political disagreements are a normal feature of party life and that the reconciliation committee remains engaged with aggrieved members.

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"Among those who left the APC was someone who played a key role in the struggle to establish the party itself. It is hardly wise to abandon a house you helped build with your own hands, leaving it for others, simply because a personal ambition was not realised," Dauda said.

President Tinubu's APC assembles five-member advisory team

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that President Bola Tinubu put together a five-member Body of Advisers for the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, drawing on some of Nigeria's most seasoned political figures to anchor the party's re-election effort.

The advisory group is made up entirely of elder statesmen, combining former governors and ex-senators with decades of political experience between them.

Their appointment reflects a deliberate attempt by the ruling party to assemble credible voices with broad national reach ahead of the next general election.

Source: YEN.com.gh