Profile of Adamawa APC Guber Candidate -By Aliyu Muhammad Abba

Ahmed Tijjani Galadima Aminu was born in Yola, Adamawa State. He hails from the distinguished family of the late Galadima Adamawa, Alhaji Galadima Aminu. He commenced his educational journey at Hammawa Primary School, Yola, where he obtained his Primary School Leaving Certificate in 1977. He proceeded to Yelwa Government Secondary School, Yola (now Aliyu Mustapha College), graduating in 1982. Thereafter, he attended Ahmadu Bello University, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture in 1988. In 1998, he obtained a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Banking and Finance from University of Ibadan.

With over two decades of distinguished service in the Nigerian public sector, Ahmed Tijjani Galadima Aminu built a reputation as an accomplished administrator, technocrat, and development strategist. Until his resignation in 2026, he served as the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Nigeria’s foremost institution for human capital development in the oil, gas, and energy sector. He voluntarily resigned from the position in compliance with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive requiring political appointees seeking elective office to step down before participating in party primaries.

Before becoming Executive Secretary, Mr. Aminu spent over twelve transformative years as General Manager, Education and Training at PTDF. During this period, he played a pivotal role in strengthening and expanding the PTDF Overseas Scholarship Scheme (OSS), transforming it into one of Nigeria’s most reputable and internationally recognised scholarship programmes. Under his leadership, PTDF developed strategic partnerships with globally renowned institutions and organisations, including the Russell Group Universities in the United Kingdom, Campus France, Germany’s DAAD, and leading Malaysian universities. Through these initiatives, he facilitated educational opportunities for thousands of Nigerians, including numerous indigenes of Adamawa State who benefitted from PTDF scholarship programmes for undergraduate, postgraduate, and specialised professional training.

Mr. Aminu also championed the establishment of the College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Kaduna (CPESK), a landmark institution designed to advance energy education, innovation, and research in Nigeria. In partnership with three leading UK universities—University of Portsmouth, Robert Gordon University, and University of Strathclyde—he pioneered Nigeria’s first split-site degree programmes. The historic agreement, signed in December 2024, established a new model for higher education and became the first initiative of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In 2026, Ahmed Tijjani Galadima Aminu answered the call to public service on a broader scale by joining the race for the governorship of Adamawa State. Following a widely applauded campaign built on experience, competence, and grassroots engagement, he participated in the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election and emerged victorious as the party’s flag bearer for the 2027 Adamawa State Governorship Election. His emergence followed overwhelming support from delegates and stakeholders across the state, as well as endorsements from fellow aspirants who stepped down in the interest of party unity.

As the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Aminu has articulated a vision centred on good governance, economic development, youth empowerment, educational advancement, agricultural transformation, job creation, and the sustainable development of Adamawa State. He is widely regarded as a unifying figure with the capacity to bridge divides and harness the vast human and natural resources of the state for collective progress.

Beyond his professional and political accomplishments, Ahmed Tijjani Galadima Aminu is admired for his humility, calm disposition, and unwavering moral principles. He is known as an approachable and people-oriented leader who values service above personal recognition. Colleagues, partners, community leaders, and ordinary citizens alike describe him as a man of integrity, fairness, honesty, and vision—qualities that have earned him widespread respect both within and beyond Adamawa State.