List of governors of Bauchi State

Bauchi State, located in the northeastern region of Nigeria, has experienced various forms of leadership since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, including both military and civilian administrations. At the time of independence, the territory now known as Bauchi State was part of the Northern Region. In the state reorganization of 1967, the Northern Region was divided into six states, and the area comprising present-day Bauchi became part of the North-Eastern State. The first military governor of the newly created Northeastern state was Brigadier Musa Usman who was replaced in 1975 by Muhammadu Buhari. Bauchi State was created out of the Northeastern state in 1976, and Colonel Mohammed Bello Kaliel was the first military governor from 1976 to 1978. He was succeeded by another military administrator, Garba Duba, during the continued military regimes.  

In 1979, democratic rule returned to Nigeria and Abubakar Tatari Ali became the first elected civilian governor of Bauchi State, serving under the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). His administration was cut short in 1983 by a military coup, after which various military governors took charge, including Chris Abutu Garuba, Joshua Madaki and Abu Ali. Between 1992 and 1993, there was a brief democratic government led by Dahiru Mohammed and was later overthrown by James Kalau, an administrator appointed by the General Sani Abacha Government. Hence, military administrators ruled Bauchi State from 1993 up till the handing over of power to the civilian government in 1999.

With the return of democracy in 1999, Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu was elected as the civilian governor of Bauchi State and served two terms from 1999 to 2007 under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). In 2015, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress (APC) became governor and served until 2019. Bala Mohammed of the PDP took office in 2019 and was re-elected in 2023 for a second term. He currently serves as the incumbent governor of Bauchi State.