Profile
Bukar Abba Ibrahim is a former Governor of Yobe State who served between 1992 to 1993, and between 1999 to 2007, making him the first Civilian Governor of Yobe State. He was also a Senator who on the platform of All Nigeria Peoples Party, represented the Yobe East Senatorial District from 2007 to 2019 when he stepped down to accommodate Ibrahim Gaidam.
Personal Life
He was born in early 1949, in Goniri, Gubja Local Government Area, Yobe State. Ibrahim is a devout Muslim, with three wives: Hajiya (Dr.) Maryam Abba Ibrahim, Hajiya Aishatu Ibrahim and Hajiya Khadijat Ibrahim. In 2021, he lost his elder daughter, Aisha Bukar Abba. Ibrahim is an associate member of the Nigeria Institute of Quantity Surveyors.
Education
| S/N | Qualification | Schools Attended | Date |
| 1. | Pry-school Leaving Certificate | Bukar Abba Ibrahim Central | 1957 |
| 2. | West African School Certificate Examination | Government College in Maiduguri | 1970 |
| 3. | Bachelor of Science degree in Quantity Surveying | Ahmadu Bello University | 1972 – 1975. |
| 4. | Post-graduate professional training | United Kingdom from | 1981 – 1982 |
Work History
| Place | Position | Date |
| Borno State | Civil Servant | 1985-1988 |
| Konti-SAB Associates | Partner | 1982-1984 |
Political History
After serving in the civil service of Borno State, Ibrahim became the Borno State Commissioner of Works.
In December 1991, a few months after the creation of Yobe State, Ibrahim contested for the governorship seat of the state, under the banner of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He won the elections, and in January 1992, he was sworn in. He held this position until November 1993, when the military took over the government.
Following the transition from military to civilian rule in late 1998, Ibrahim contested in the gubernatorial elections of January 1999, under the banner of the All People’s Party (APP). He emerged the winner of the elections and was sworn in as the Governor of Yobe State on 29th May 1999.
In 2033, APP was renamed All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) due to a factional split. Ibrahim was re-elected in 2003 for a second term, on the platform of ANPP.
After his tenure as governor, in 2007, Ibrahim contested for the senatorial seat representing Yobe East Senatorial District. He won the elections on the platform of ANPP, and was re-elected in 2011. Ibrahim contested for this seat again in 2015, however, it was under the banner of All Progressives Congress. He once again won the elections, emerging a Senator in the 8th National Assembly. He served as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change.
Ibrahim once declared that he would die in the National Assembly, meaning he was going to be a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as long as he was alive. However, in 2019, he announced his withdrawal from the senatorial race in the 2019 elections and endorsed the candidacy of former Governor Ibrahim Gaidam – who eventually won the seat.
Leadership Style/Philosophy
Awards & Honours
- 2019 Award as “ A Shield For The Less Privileged” by the Papyrus Magazine
- 2012 Mo Ibrahim Exemplary Grassroots Leadership Quality in Africa Award
- 2003 International Peace Prize by the American Biographical Institute, North Carolina, USA
- National Honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger
- Honorary Doctorate in Environmental Management by Federal University of Science and Technology Akure.
- Honorary Doctorate in Agriculture by the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi.
Project
- Construction of over 500km of roads worth $110 million
- Construction of over 1,000 concrete-lined wells, rehabilitation of 550 dry wells and drilling of over 200 mechanised boreholes
- Rehabilitation of existing (and construction of new) general hospitals and health centres across the state
- Connection of major towns in Yobe State to the National Grid, and power supply of smaller through the Rural Electrification Board
- Introduction of the “Back to Farm Programme” which saw the provision of infrastructural and institutional research as well as support services in the agricultural sector of Yobe State
- Founded the Yobe State University in 2006
Criticism/Controversy
In 2017, a scandalous video showing Ibrahim dressing up in the presence of two women in a guesthouse, presumably after sex, went viral. He owned up to it, saying that he had not committed any official wrongdoing and the video was only made public after attempts to blackmail him failed.
