Maiduguri Stands Still for Zulum, Gubio

By Zakari A. Abdullahi

The Maiduguri metropolis was brought to a standstill on Friday as thousands of jubilant supporters trooped out to welcome Governor Babagana Umara Zulum and his anointed governorship candidate, Engr. Mustapha Gubio.

The mammoth crowd stretched from the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport to major roads leading into the city, creating heavy human and vehicular congestion across key routes.

Governor Zulum and his entourage were returning from a high-level meeting in Abuja, where he formally presented Gubio to Vice President Kashim Shettima. During the closed-door session, Shettima, a former governor of Borno State, endorsed Gubio as the consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 governorship election.

Addressing the crowd at the Government House in Maiduguri, Zulum described the turnout as “a testament to Borno’s unbroken unity and political maturity.”

The governor had earlier unveiled Gubio as his preferred successor after purchasing the APC nomination and expression of interest forms for the 2027 governorship election.

He said the choice of Gubio was aimed at sustaining the momentum of ongoing developmental programmes and service delivery initiated by his administration since 2019.

Members of the governor’s entourage from Abuja included Deputy Governor Umar Usman Kadafur; APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Ali Bukar Dalori; former Governor Maina Ma’aji Lawan; Senators Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Mohammed Ali Ndume and Kaka Shehu Lawan; and the Minister of Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari.

According to the governor’s spokesperson and media adviser, Dauda Iliya, the massive turnout that brought Borno State to a standstill reflects the people’s overwhelming support and unity behind Governor Zulum’s leadership and his chosen successor.

Also in the entourage were the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, members of the National Assembly, and other party stakeholders