Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar

Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar (born 11 December 1956) is the present governor of Bauchi State, Nigeria. He began his career in the Civil Service where he rose through the ranks to become the Bauchi State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice. He ran for public office as Governor of Bauchi State in 2015 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, the state's opposition party. He won the election, defeating the incumbent party's candidate by over 370,000 votes. He began his tenure as the governor of Bauchi on 29 August 2016, succeeding Isa Yuguda.

Mohammed Abubakar was born in Gombe, to the family of Late Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar (ACP rtd). He attended Jos Native Authority Primary School from 1963 to 1968 and proceeded to Tudun Wada Primary School Kano in 1969. He then gained admission into Government College Kano (Rumfa College) for his Secondary School education from 1970 to 1974.

On completion of his Secondary School education, Barrister Mohammed A. Abubakar proceeded to School of Basic Studies, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria for one year pre-degree programme. He was among the first set of students of School of Basic Studies of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1974. From 1975 to 1978 he studied at the Faculty of law, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria where he got his LLB Hons.

He proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos from 1978 to 1979 for his BL course. He was called to bar after successfully completing the course and from 1979-1980, during his National Youth Service Corps, he lectured at Rivers State College of Science and Technology (presently University of Science and Technology, Rivers State).

On completion of his youth service, Barrister Mohammed Abubakar joined the civil service as a Pupil State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice, Bauchi State. He rose through the ranks to the position of Senior Parliamentary Counsel and Head of Legal Drafting Department of Bauchi State House of Assembly in 1983.

After the 1983 military intervention, he was deployed back to the Ministry of Justice as Senior State Counsel. In 1984 he was promoted to the rank of Principal State Counsel and was seconded to Yankari Games Reserve and Tourism Company Limited as the Secretary/ Legal Adviser. He was deployed back to the Ministry of Justice in 1986 as a Principal State Counsel and Acting Director Civil Litigations and in 1988 he was promoted to the position of Director of Public Prosecution. He was appointed Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Bauchi state between 1990 and 1991 before the handing over to civilian regime. However, the civilian government reappointed him as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Bauchi state from 1991 to 1993.

When the military intervened again in 1993, Barrister Mohammed Abubakar went into private practice as Managing Partner of Fortuna Chambers. He became the Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association, Bauchi State Branch from 1996 to 1998 and was elected Deputy National Secretary of the Democratic People's Party in 1997. He was appointed Resident Electoral Commissioner of the INEC - The Independent National Electoral Commission and served in Kogi, Delta, Plateau and Rivers States between 1999 and 2003. In 2003, he was promoted to National Electoral Commissioner in charge of Legal Services and supervisor of Borno, Jigawa, and Yobe states. He retired from INEC in 2008 and went back to legal practice as Managing Partner of M A Abubakar & Co. (Fortuna Chambers). This law firm has offices in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Bauchi State.

In June 2013 Barrister Mohammed Abubakar was appointed a member of the National Judicial Council, NJC, and on the 11th of April, 2015 he was the elected Governor of Bauchi State, Nigeria on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Barrister Abubakar is married with children. He is an avid supporter of football clubs - Manchester United and Wikki Tourists.