The Bauchi Elephants were relegated from the NPFL last season, and the state government has given the club ₦4 million in support as it chases an immediate return.
Want our football coverage to show up first?
Add FootballInNigeria as a preferred source and our stories get a "Preferred" badge in your Google Top Stories, AI Overviews, and AI Mode results.
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has unveiled the new home and away jerseys of Wikki Tourists ahead of the 2026/27 Nigeria National League (NNL) season. The kits come with a fresh sponsorship deal with Shafa Energy, and the club has made it clear that its target is promotion back to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
The ceremony took place at the Government House in Bauchi this week. It also included the formal presentation of the club’s new Technical Adviser, Bala Abubakar Mohammed, and the introduction of the newly elected executive committee of the Wikki Tourists Supporters Club.
Governor Mohammed was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Aminu Hammayo. He repeated the administration’s backing for the team and urged the management, technical crew and players to work together to secure immediate promotion.
The government also showed its support in cash. Hammayo announced a ₦2 million grant to the main team and another ₦2 million to the Supporters Club, so the state gave ₦4 million in total at the event.
Rebuilding After Relegation
Wikki’s relegation was confirmed on May 11, when a 3-2 home defeat to title chasing Rivers United on Matchday 37 sealed their fate. They then lost 3-1 at Kun Khalifat in Owerri on the final day of the 2025/26 season.
Bauchi’s government reacted quickly. It dissolved the club’s management committee in July and appointed former state director of sports Alhaji Haruna Bako as interim sole administrator, and Bala Abubakar was named Technical Adviser soon afterwards. Fans who follow the lower leagues can check the Bet9ja promotion for NNL followers as the season begins.
Bako, the club’s Sole Administrator, told the gathering that the squad has completed two tune-up tournaments. He said ongoing reforms are focused on refining technical operations, strengthening club administration and exploring international marketing options.
Abubakar has already promised a serious overhaul of the squad. He told reporters in July that only players showing top commitment and quality would keep their place for the new campaign.
Captain And Commissioner Back The Plan
Bauchi’s Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Alhaji Bashir Ya’u, pledged continuous guidance from the ministry. Club captain Shafiu Adamu Duguri also promised fans that the players are fully committed to winning promotion, and readers can look at Bet9ja’s YOHAIG fresh-start offer while they follow the NNL.
The target is realistic, because relegated clubs have bounced back before. Four teams went up from the NNL last season, namely Doma United, Inter Lagos, Sporting Lagos and Ranchers Bees, and Doma United returned to the NPFL immediately after their own relegation.
The challenge for Wikki will be consistency. The NNL is a long and physical season, and every opponent will treat a game against the Bauchi Elephants as a big match.
For supporters in Bauchi, the new kits and the show of government support are a positive sign. The club still has to prove it on the pitch, and anyone new to betting can read about the Bet9ja sign-up bonus guide while they wait for the first fixtures.
📌 Did You Know?
- Wikki Tourists are nicknamed the Bauchi Elephants.
- Wikki and Bayelsa United were the first two clubs relegated from the NPFL in 2025/26, with both confirmed down on May 11.
- Wikki also dropped out of the NPFL in 2022/23 before returning to the top flight.
- Interim sole administrator Haruna Bako is a former Bauchi State director of sports.
- Doma United were relegated from the NPFL in 2024/25 and won promotion straight back, joining Inter Lagos, Sporting Lagos and Ranchers Bees.
