Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar

Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar was born on 11 December 1956 in Gombe to the family of Late Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar.

He attended Jos Native Authority Primary School from 1963 to 1968, followed by Tudun Wada Primary School Kano in 1969 before proceeding to Government College Kano (Rumfa College) for secondary education between 1970 and 1974.

After completing his secondary studies, he undertook a one-year pre-degree programme at the School of Basic Studies, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria before studying law at the Faculty of Law there from 1975 to 1978. He earned an LLB Hons degree and later qualified as a barrister through the Nigerian Law School in Lagos (1978–1979).

During his National Youth Service Corps (1979–1980), he lectured at Rivers State College of Science and Technology. Post-Youth Service, he joined Bauchi’s civil service as a Pupil State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice.

He rose through the ranks to become Senior Parliamentary Counsel and Head of Legal Drafting Department for Bauchi State House of Assembly by 1983.

After military rule ended, he returned to private practice as Managing Partner at Fortuna Chambers. He later became Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association’s Bauchi State Branch (1996–1998) and served as Deputy National Secretary of the Democratic People's Party in 1997.

Appointed Resident Electoral Commissioner by INEC between 1999–2003, he was promoted to National Electoral Commissioner overseeing legal services and supervision in Borno, Jigawa, and Yobe states until his retirement in 2008. He resumed legal practice as Managing Partner of M A Abubakar & Co.

In June 2013, he was appointed a member of the National Judicial Council (NJC). Elected Governor of Bauchi State on APC’s platform in April 2015, he took office on 29 August 2016 after defeating the incumbent party candidate by over 370,000 votes.

His tenure lasted until his defeat in the 2019 election by PDP’s Bala Mohammed, marking Bauchi’s first governor to lose re-election. He remains married with children and is a football enthusiast, supporting Manchester United and Wikki Tourists.