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In the crowded theater of Nigerian politics, where the noise often drowns the substance, Eng. Abubakar D. Aliyu stands out. The former Minister of Power is not Garlo or Risargiante. Nor is he guided by unbridled ambition. Instead, it is known for a leadership style that is beautiful, calm and deeply oriented towards results: a rare mixture of vision, loyalty and resilience at a time when these qualities are desperately necessary in public life.
While the countdown for the 2027 elections collects the steam, Yobe State is at a decisive crossroads. Politicians throughout Nigeria are already surprising alliances and plan new paths towards power. Yet the real question for Yobe’s voters is not those who can ask the noisiest promises, but those who have the proven ability to consolidate the earnings won by the state. After decades of constant progress, what Yobe needs now is not a break from his trajectory but a leader who can strengthen and expand it – a leader with skills to transform results into lasting institutions.
Many observers believe that the leader is Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu.
Aliyu’s first great exposure to political life came in 2009 in tragic circumstances. After the death of his older brother, Governor Mamman Ali was selected as deputy governor by the then governor Ibrahim Gaidam in the cause of an extraordinary career in the civil service in which he was a permanent secretary. Far from being a ceremonial figure, it has taken on further wallets that supervise health, trade, integrated rural development, as well as the rehabilitation and integration of internal displaced people among others. For over ten years-the longest mandate of any deputy governor in Nigeria-Aliyu has built a reputation due to humility, loyalty, accessibility and a go-looker.
Those who worked with him at the time speak of a man who rolled up their sleeves to inspect rural projects, listen to farmers and traders, interact and comfort the IDPs and translate politics into concrete benefits. That experience gave him an intimate understanding of Yobe’s heartbeat: his challenges, his communities and aspirations.
Since a red fish does not have a hiding place, Aliyu’s competence has soon attracted national attention. In 2019, due to his unin linked loyalty and service track, he was appointed to serve at the highest decision -making organ in Nigeria as Minister of State for works and housing building, where he acquitted with distinction. Two years later, he was elevated to the Minister of Power, a portfolio that many fear for his complexity and public control.
Yet Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu delivered. Under its watch, Nigeria has recorded an increase in the electricity generation and a decisive update of transmission infrastructures. He opened the doors to renewable energy investments and institutionalized planning based on data. The relative stability of the food assisted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is partially based on the foundation thrown by Aliyu and his team.
He made a lasting impression in December 2022 when he turned to the briefing session of the ministerial press organized by the then Federal Federal Ministry of Information and Culture at the Radio House of Abuja. Without a script, he eliminated the results in the sector of power from memory, demonstrating both the mastery of his short and the rare ability to communicate technical problems clearly.
Even in Abuja, Aliyu has never lost sight of Yoube. Through strategic federal interventions, it facilitated updates to the Power Power subostation, providing more reliable electricity to thousands of families and small businesses. He rehabilitated the secondary school of the Fika government and provided services to various higher education institutions, including the teaching hospital of state universities. He influenced the construction of Vitali bridges in Nguru and Tandari among the other numerous infrastructures in the city and public institutions and has also ensured the asphalt of key arteries in the city and villages. As a renewable energy sample, Eng. Aliyu has provided over 100 solar energy wells and lampposts in many communities such as Mofura, Bidiram, Amshi, Dagona, Daya, Alajere, Biriri and Abbari, which bring its imprint. Silently and constantly, it has translated public offices in public good.
The Governor Mai Mala Buni has been widely acclaimed for his results in the development of human capital, agriculture, health care – in particular primary health care – urban renewal and rural infrastructures. He has invested a lot in modern markets to increase trade and enhance ordinary citizens. His performance was so stellar that his predecessor, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, openly expressed satisfaction with the state trajectory.
But governance is a continuum. To transform the results of buni into lasting institutions, Yobe requires a successor that can affect the ground by running. This is where the Aliyu mix of basic experience and federal exposure becomes critical. Having served both as Deputy Governor and as Minister of the Cabinet, he includes how to navigate on state and national systems to attract resources, forge partnerships and provide large -scale programs.
Normally, there is an unwritten tradition of rotating leadership among the senator areas at a state level in Nigeria. This scenario also strengthens the case of Aliyu. After the turning point of zone A from which the current governor comes, it is widely expected that zone B must produce the next governor. The deceased governor Mamman Ali climbed from zone B, but his unfortunate disappearance made power move. However, many people even think beyond this calculation while they depended on their support not based on the right or the name of the family. It is based on merit. Among all the probable contenders, they claim, Aliyu stands out for his education, track record, reputation without stain and ability to unify the state.
Engr. Aliyu is a bridge between experience and innovation. It is the firm hand required to support and deepen the extraordinary legacy of the Governor Mai Mala Buni.
Aliyu obtained a degree in Civil and Water resources engineering from the University of Maiduguri. He is a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and registered member of the Council for the regulation of engineering in Nigeria (Coren). In addition to the titles, it embodies a rare mixture of technical competence and political maturity. In an era in which public trust in the leaders is fragile, his uncontentious record and his peaceful competence made him an indispensable resource for Yoube.
While Yobe marks 34 years after his creation, he has traveled an extraordinary journey – from the pioneering initiatives of the late Governor Mamman Ali, through the consolidation under the senator Ibrahim Gaidam, to the bold reforms and to the infrastructure renewal under the governor Mai Mala Buni. The question is now like transforming this cumulative progress into a springboard for inclusive growth.
The answer lies in electing a governor who has already demonstrated the ability to design, perform and support complex programs. It is easy to indicate his decade as deputy governor, his administration of two federal ministries and his story of delivery of tangible projects to Yobe even while serving in Abuja.
With the approach of the race of the Governorate of 2027, the stakes for Yoube could not be higher. The state has tasted constant progress. Its citizens now expect the consolidation on the earnings of the governor Buni. In Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu, many see a leader who embodies continuity without complacency – a man prepared to expand what works and arrange what he does not do. It is not known for disputes or scandals. It represents a bridge between the historical past of the state and its ambitious future.
It remains to see if the hat throws in the ring. But one thing is clear: Yobe’s next chapter will require more than rhetoric. It will require experience, vision and integrity – Quality that Eng. Abubakar D. Aliyu has constantly led to every assignment. For a state in the balance on the threshold of higher possibilities, it could be the stable hand it needs.
Mutah writes from Abuja
