Senator Abdul’Aziz Abubakar Yari’s more than two decades of public service, spanning federal, state and legislative leadership, have distinguished him as a formidable political force. His acumen in party politics, his instinct for survival, his doggedness, his talent in consensus-building, and his capacity to reinvent himself have earned him the Politician of the Year 2026
Born on January 28, 1968, in Talata Mafara, Zamfara State, Yari began his political career in 1999 as Secretary of the then All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Zamfara State. He subsequently became Chairman of the ANPP in Zamfara State and later served as the party’s National Financial Secretary. In 2007, he was elected to the House of Representatives, representing Anka/Talata Mafara Federal Constituency.
Yari, a consummate politician, advanced to the executive branch in 2011 when he was elected Governor of Zamfara State on the platform of the ANPP. He was re-elected in 2015 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), serving as governor from 2011 to 2019. During his second term, his colleagues in the Nigeria Governors’ Forum elected him chairman of the forum in May 2015, a position he held until 2019.
His return to the National Assembly further strengthened his position as a major political figure. Yari currently serves as the Senator representing Zamfara West Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly under the APC.
Since his emergence was not a fluke, Senator Yari in the senate has continued to participate in issues of national importance, including matters concerning insecurity, infrastructure and water resources. His cogent interventions have included drawing the attention of the Senate to the deteriorating security situation in Zamfara and seeking legislative attention to attacks on communities and the loss of lives.
Undoubtedly, the year 2026 has, however, marked a particularly significant phase in Yari’s political career, given the fact that his influence within the ruling APC has become increasingly visible as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.
On August 22, 2026, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu constituted the APC Presidential Campaign Council, a 2027 reelection council and appointed Senator Abdul’aziz Yari as its Director-General, placing him at the centre of the ruling party’s national campaign organisation. President Tinubu himself serves as chairman of the council, while Vice President Kashim Shettima serves as vice-chairman and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma as secretary.
It is a fact in political circles that the appointment represents not just a significant vote of confidence in Yari’s organisational and political capacity but also in his doggedness and tenacity. As Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Yari is entrusted with coordinating a major component of the party’s effort to secure President Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 presidential contest.
His appointment also reflects his growing role in the political mobilisation and strategic organisation of the ruling party ahead of a consequential national election.
To his credit and beyond formal political appointments, Yari, a friend of the vulnerable, has maintained a substantial presence in Zamfara through humanitarian interventions. In the month of August 2026, his palliative programme announced the distribution of 145 truckloads of maize and 42,000 bags of 10-kilogramme Semovita to internally displaced persons and vulnerable households across the state. The programme targeted 210,000 beneficiaries across Zamfara’s 147 political wards. The distribution was part of a wider intervention programme which the committee said had benefited more than 1.7 million residents over three years through food items, agricultural inputs and other relief materials.
Beyond conventional partisan politics, Yari has also extended his public profile into corporate leadership. In December 2025, he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Geregu Power Plc, a position he held in 2026. A January 2026 disclosure to the Nigerian Exchange confirmed that he was chairman of the company’s board.
It is on record that his leadership role at Geregu Power has paid off, as on August 16th 2026, the company fully settled an outstanding N6.03 billion bond obligation. This feat is a clear validation of Yari’s leadership in a prominent corporate governance context, alongside his political responsibilities.
We can safely say here that Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari is a bundle of political energy, which he has unleashed in the nation’s political space. His record reflects a political career that has evolved from grassroots party organisation to the House of Representatives, the governorship of Zamfara State, leadership of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and membership of the Nigerian Senate. In 2026, his appointment as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election represents one of the clearest indications of the national political responsibility entrusted to him by the ruling party.
His recognition as Politician of the Year 2026 is therefore anchored in his sustained participation in Nigerian public affairs and his experience across different levels of government.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, for his extensive political experience, sustained public engagement, leadership in national political mobilisation, representation of his constituents, and the significant responsibility entrusted to him in Nigeria’s 2027 electoral process, Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari is hereby honoured as the recipient of the Politician of the Year 2026 Award.
