Prince Abubakar Audu listenⓘ (24 October 1947 – 22 November 2015) was a Nigerian career banker and politician who was the first civilian governor of Kogi State.

[2] He died due to a bleeding ulcer before the announcement of the election results on 22 November 2015, while seeking to be re-elected as governor on the platform of Nigeria's ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

This coincided with one of Nigeria's many previous encounters with democracy, and Audu, being part of those who had advocated for the creation of the state and a notable son of the soil, was invited to contest for governorship.

Some of his major achievements during his brief first term of office include the establishment of three different housing schemes for public officers consisting of over 1,500 housing units in Lokoja, the transformation of Lokoja township with asphalt roads, street lights, aesthetic roundabouts, the construction of inter-township and rural roads, over 75 electrification schemes and 50 water projects.

During the visit of former U.S.President Bill Clinton to Nigeria, the State Government signed the agreement with the US Trade Development Agency (TDA) for a grant to finalize the feasibility work on the project.

Others were a government girls secondary school on student exchange programme, 350 borehole schemes, 300 kilometers of township roads, the procurement of 100 transit buses and completion of 40 rural electrification projects.

In the 2007 election, Audu was again defeated due mainly to resentment created by his dictatorial and authoritarian style exhibited during his previous tenure as governor of the state and the incumbent, Ibrahim Idris, was reelected.

In 2012, Audu contested against a newcomer to the field, Captain Idris Ichalla Wada, and was defeated by another election allegedly fraught with fraud.

When Audu left office in 2003, he was charged by Nigeria's anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), with corruption.

This case has been on for twelve years and many say it was coined as an attempt by the ruling PDP to smear Audu's image, especially in light of the achievements recorded during his tenure.

[7] Audu emerged as the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) at the 28 August Kogi State gubernatorial primary election.

Audu died of a bleeding ulcer on 22 November 2015, shortly before the Independent National Electoral Commission announced the Kogi State gubernatorial election as inconclusive.