Bauchi APC Candidates Allege Name Substitution Crisis

A fresh crisis has erupted within the Bauchi State All Progressives Congress (APC) as several State House of Assembly candidates accuse the party of substituting their names after they were declared winners in the primary elections conducted on May 21, 2026. The results were announced on May 23 by John Bassey, the Chairman of the APC Governorship and House of Assembly Primaries Committee.

Among the affected candidates is Abdulhamid Rufai, who was declared the winner for the Zungur/Galambi/Miri Constituency. Rufai stated that after completing the necessary documentation for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), he was shocked to find his name missing from the official list released by INEC.

He alleged that influential party figures may have orchestrated the substitutions to favor their loyalists. Rufai, who has remained with the APC despite losing in 2019, plans to pursue legal avenues to reclaim his position.

Ibrahim Adamu also reported similar issues regarding his candidacy for the Ganjuwa East State Assembly Constituency.