The youth wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has endorsed oil and gas technocrat Bala Wunti as its preferred candidate for the 2027 governorship election in Bauchi State.
The endorsement was announced on Monday in Abuja by the National President of the APC National Youth League, Musa Sani, who said the group arrived at the decision after reviewing the profiles of several aspirants within the party.
According to him, the youth body believes Wunti has the leadership capacity, professional experience, and grassroots appeal required to secure victory for the APC in Bauchi.
Sani described Wunti as a technocrat whose career in the energy sector reflects strong leadership, strategic thinking, and institutional reform, qualities he said are needed to reposition the state for development.
Wunti is widely known in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry for his long service in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Limited), where he held several senior management roles during a career spanning more than three decades.
In 2025, he rose to become the company’s Chief Health, Safety and Environment Officer.The youth league said his experience in corporate leadership and economic management makes him well suited to address key governance challenges in Bauchi, including economic diversification, youth employment, and infrastructure development.
Beyond his professional career, the group also highlighted Wunti’s humanitarian activities through the Wunti Al Khair Foundation, which supports widows, orphans, and young entrepreneurs across Bauchi and other parts of northern Nigeria.
According to the youth leaders, these efforts have earned him growing support among young people, community leaders, and traditional institutions in the state.
They added that Bauchi requires a leader with both international exposure and local understanding to unlock its economic potential and drive sustainable growth.
The APC youth body therefore urged the national leadership of the party to ensure a transparent and level playing field that would allow credible aspirants to emerge through the party’s democratic process.
It also called on Wunti to formally declare his governorship ambition, noting that many youths, professionals, and political stakeholders in Bauchi are already encouraging him to join the race.
The group expressed confidence that if given the APC ticket, Wunti would unite the party in the state and mount a strong challenge in the 2027 governorship election.
