Buba Galadima Biography: Alhaji Buba Galadima, also known as Engr. Buba Galadima, is a veteran Nigerian politician and civil engineer with over four decades of active participation in Nigerian politics. Born in 1948 in Gashua, Yobe State, he is widely recognised for his long political association with former President Muhammadu Buhari and for holding senior roles across multiple Nigerian political parties.
Buba Galadima Biography / Wiki
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Abubakar Buba Galadima |
| Year of Birth | 1948 |
| Age | 77 years (as of 2026) |
| State of Origin | Yobe State, Nigeria |
| Hometown | Gashua, Yobe State |
| Profession | Politician, Civil Engineer |
| Religion | Islam |
| Marital Status | Not publicly disclosed |
| Party (Current) | NNPP (Kwankwassiya faction; expelled Feb 2025) |
Early Life
Buba Galadima was born in 1948 in Gashua, a town in present-day Yobe State, in northeastern Nigeria. He grew up in the region during the late colonial and early post-independence era of Nigeria. Details about his early childhood and secondary schooling are not publicly disclosed.
Education
Galadima pursued tertiary education in engineering at one of Nigeria’s most prestigious institutions. He earned a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Building Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, in 1975.
His engineering background shaped his professional career before he transitioned fully into public service and politics. He is referred to in most official and media contexts as “Engr. Buba Galadima” in recognition of his engineering qualification.
Professional Career
Before his full-time entry into politics, Galadima worked as an executive in a construction company. He was also elected to public office, representing the Bade Federal Constituency of Borno State as a member of the National Assembly.
His most prominent pre-politics executive appointment was as Director General of the Nigeria Maritime Authority (NMA) from 1996 to 1998, during the military administration of General Sani Abacha. He was succeeded in the role by John Egesi.
Early Political Career
During the Nigerian Fourth Republic, established in May 1999, Galadima joined the leading opposition party, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). He became a prominent chieftain and vocal critic of the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, whom he publicly described as “the usurper president”.
He also served as Chairman of the Mobilisation Committee of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), a coalition body that coordinated opposition political activity.
1994/95 Constitutional Conference
Galadima participated in the 1994–1995 National Constitutional Conference convened under the administration of General Sani Abacha. The conference was constituted to develop a new constitutional framework for Nigeria. His participation placed him among the delegates engaged in the national political discourse of that era.
2004 Arrest and Detention
On 29 April 2004, officers from Nigeria’s State Security Services (SSS) arrested Galadima at his office in Abuja. His arrest occurred in the context of his role in planning an anti-government protest scheduled for 3 May 2004 in Abuja and Lagos.
Amnesty International issued a public appeal on his behalf, expressing concern for his safety while he was held in incommunicado detention without charge. He was released without charge on 13 May 2004, after approximately two weeks in detention.
The Buhari Organisation and CPC
Buba Galadima
After breaking away from the ANPP alongside General Muhammadu Buhari, Galadima became the National Campaign Secretary of The Buhari Organisation (TBO), founded in 2006. The TBO served as the organisational backbone for Buhari’s presidential ambitions.
From TBO, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) emerged, filing for registration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on 26 March 2009 and receiving official approval on 28 December 2009. Galadima was appointed as a member of the CPC’s Board of Trustees and later as the party’s National Secretary.
Formation of the APC
Galadima is one of the nine official signatories who signed the merger agreement that led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013. The merger brought together the CPC, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Following the merger, he was appointed to the APC Board of Trustees (BoT). The APC went on to win the 2015 presidential election, with Muhammadu Buhari becoming President of Nigeria.
Fallout with APC and Buhari
Galadima publicly disclosed that his disagreements with Buhari began during the internal party nomination processes around the time of the APC merger. He stated that Buhari unilaterally changed the party’s merger committee representatives, which he described as high-handed.
By 2017, Galadima formally decamped from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was subsequently named as one of the official spokespersons of the PDP.
Reformed APC (R-APC)
In 2018, Galadima became a key figure in the establishment of the Reformed All Progressives Congress (R-APC), a breakaway faction of the APC. He served as the Spokesman of the R-APC, which included figures such as former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki.
The R-APC positioned itself as a platform for APC members who opposed Buhari’s administration and supported alternative presidential candidates for the 2019 elections.
2019 Presidential Election
Galadima served as a senior Spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign during the 2019 Nigerian general elections. On 24 February 2019, just hours after polls closed and while results were still being collated by INEC, Galadima posted a video on social media declaring PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar the winner.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council demanded his arrest, alleging he was acting on Atiku’s instructions. He was subsequently briefly detained by security operatives. No formal prosecution followed.
New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)
Following the 2019 elections, Galadima became a chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). He aligned himself with the Kwankwassiya movement led by former Kano Governor and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
In February 2025, the NNPP held a National Convention in Lagos on 4 February 2025, at which the party formally expelled Galadima, Kwankwaso, and the entire Kwankwassiya faction, and elected Dr. Agbo Major as National Chairman.
2026 Political Developments
In February 2026, following Kano Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s defection from the NNPP to the APC, Galadima was removed as Chairman of the Kano State Polytechnic’s governing council. The governor replaced him with the Emir of Gaya, Aliyu Abdulkadir, as part of his “Kano First Agenda” governance reshuffle.
Galadima has continued to speak publicly on Nigerian political issues, including governance, Northern Nigerian unity, and electoral affairs. As of early 2026, his formal party affiliation following the NNPP expulsion has not been publicly confirmed.
Key Party Affiliations Timeline
| Period | Party / Organisation | Role |
| 1999–2006 | ANPP | Chieftain |
| 2006–2009 | The Buhari Organisation (TBO) | National Campaign Secretary |
| 2009–2013 | Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) | National Secretary / BoT Member |
| 2013–2017 | All Progressives Congress (APC) | Board of Trustees Member |
| 2017–2018 | Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) | Spokesperson |
| 2018–2019 | Reformed APC (R-APC) | National Chairman / Spokesman |
| 2019–2025 | New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) | Chieftain (Kwankwassiya faction) |
| 2025–present | Not publicly confirmed | — |