Can Dogara Rescue the APC? The High-Stakes Battle for Bauchi’s Political Soul

By Umar Usman Duguri

As the countdown to the next governorship election gathers momentum, the political future of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State may ultimately depend less on the strength of its opposition than on its ability to overcome internal divisions. Across the state, conversations among party faithful increasingly revolve around one central question: Can former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, unite aggrieved APC stakeholders and reposition the party as a formidable electoral force?

The question is significant because elections are rarely won by slogans alone. Political history, in Bauchi and across Niger

ia, demonstrates that fragmented parties often defeat themselves before voters cast a single ballot. Internal mistrust, unresolved grievances, and competing ambitions have repeatedly weakened political organizations that would otherwise have entered elections from positions of strength.

For the APC in Bauchi, this is a defining moment.

Dogara remains one of the state’s most prominent political figures. His emergence as Speaker of the Eighth House of Representatives elevated him to national prominence and showcased his ability to build coalitions across political, regional, and religious divides. Those negotiation skills now face perhaps their greatest test—not in the National Assembly, but within the APC itself.

The party has, over successive electoral cycles, witnessed disagreements over leadership, candidate selection, power-sharing, and strategic direction. While many political actors have publicly called for unity, reconciliation cannot succeed through rhetoric alone. Genuine healing requires fairness, inclusion, transparent dialogue, and a willingness to place the party’s collective future above individual ambition.

That is where Dogara’s political experience could prove decisive.

Yet, reconciliation is not the responsibility of one individual. No political heavyweight, regardless of influence, can single-handedly rebuild a fractured party. Sustainable unity requires cooperation from the APC’s national leadership, state executives, elected officials, aspirants, grassroots mobilizers, youth and women leaders, and respected party elders. Any reconciliation process perceived as favouring one bloc over another risks deepening existing fault lines instead of resolving them.

Even if the APC succeeds in restoring internal cohesion, unity alone will not secure victory. Nigerian voters have become increasingly discerning. They are demanding credible candidates, practical economic policies, improved security, quality healthcare, educational reform, infrastructure development, employment opportunities, and transparent governance. Political reconciliation must therefore be accompanied by a compelling vision that resonates with citizens’ everyday concerns.

For Bauchi APC, therefore, the challenge extends beyond settling disputes among party elites. It must convince the electorate that it offers a credible alternative capable of delivering measurable improvements in governance.

Dogara’s role, if he chooses to lead such an effort, would be measured not merely by his ability to broker peace but by his capacity to inspire confidence across the party and among voters. A successful reconciliation process would require listening to dissenting voices, rebuilding trust, ensuring fairness in party affairs, and fostering a culture in which loyalty is earned through inclusion rather than demanded through authority.

Should such a process succeed, the APC could emerge stronger, more disciplined, and better positioned to mount a competitive governorship campaign. Failure, however, could leave lingering divisions that opponents may seek to exploit during the election.

Ultimately, the question is not whether Yakubu Dogara possesses political influence—few would dispute that he does. The more consequential question is whether that influence can be translated into lasting unity, strategic organization, and renewed public confidence.

As Bauchi moves closer to another defining electoral contest, the APC stands at a crossroads. One path leads toward reconciliation, renewed purpose, and competitive politics. The other risks continued fragmentation and diminished electoral prospects.

Whether Dogara becomes the architect of the party’s revival or merely another respected figure navigating its internal complexities will depend on the choices made not only by him but by every stakeholder committed to the APC’s future.

The governorship election may ultimately be decided at the ballot box, but its outcome could well be shaped first in the meeting rooms where trust is rebuilt, differences are resolved, and the foundations of political unity are either strengthened—or allowed to crumble.