Bauchi guber: Tuggar’s camp kicks against Mohammed Abubakar’s emergence as APC candidate

Bauchi guber: Tuggar’s camp kicks against Mohammed Abubakar’s emergence as APC candidate

Yusuf Tuggar

Fresh controversy has emerged over the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in Bauchi as supporters of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, have rejected the reported emergence of former Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar (SAN) as the party’s candidate for the 2027 governorship election.

The rejection was conveyed on Tuesday by the Tuggar Foundation, which described Abubakar’s purported emergence as unconstitutional and lacking any legitimate basis.

Addressing journalists at the Foundation’s office, former Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Bauchi State, Alhaji Shehu Barau Ningi, said the declaration was made by Abubakar himself and not by the appropriate organs of the APC.

Ningi, who was accompanied by Alhaji Sule Wada, Alhaji Sani Shehu (popularly known as Sanin Malam), former Bauchi State Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and other stakeholders, insisted that the party had not officially announced any governorship candidate.

“We describe the declaration as purported because it was made by Mr M.A. Abubakar himself, rather than through an official announcement by the appropriate organs of the All Progressives Congress,” Ningi said.

“To date, the party has not publicly and officially confirmed the declaration.”

The Foundation said its position was contained in an appeal dated June 2, 2026, addressed to the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, arguing that no governorship primary election was conducted in the state.

“No governorship primary election was conducted anywhere in Bauchi State. Consequently, the declaration of any aspirant as the winner of a primary election that never took place is unfounded, unjustifiable and devoid of any legitimate basis,” the group stated.

The Foundation also accused Abubakar of giving conflicting accounts of how he emerged as the party’s candidate.

According to the group, the former governor initially claimed he was adopted by consensus before later stating that a primary election was held in which he emerged victorious with specific number of votes.

It warned that imposing Abubakar as the APC governorship candidate could weaken the party’s chances in the 2027 election, citing what it described as widespread dissatisfaction and defections within the party.

The Foundation further argued that Abubakar lost his re-election bid in 2019 and had failed to rebuild the party’s grassroots structures afterward.

It also raised the issue of power rotation, contending that Katagum Senatorial District had not produced a governor since the tenure of the late Abubakar Tatari Ali, which ended in 1983.

“In the interest of justice, equity and balanced political representation, we believe that the time has come to give the Division a fair opportunity to produce the next Governor of Bauchi State,” the appeal letter stated.

The group endorsed Ambassador Tuggar, who hails from Katagum, as its preferred candidate, describing him as a committed member of the progressive political family from the days of the APP and ANPP through the CPC and now the APC.

It also claimed that Abubakar joined the APC only 52 days before the party’s 2014 governorship primaries and had largely distanced himself from the party following his defeat in the 2019 governorship election, including sitting out the 2023 primaries.

The Foundation urged the APC national leadership to conduct an independent opinion poll and review the reported declaration in the interest of justice, fairness, internal democracy, and the party’s electoral success.

It maintained that presenting Tuggar as the party’s governorship candidate would strengthen the APC’s chances of reclaiming Bauchi State in the 2027 election and help stem the wave of defections.

The appeal letter was signed by Alhaji Sule Wada, Alhaji Sani Shehu, Shehu Barau Ningi, and Alhaji Aliyu Kafin Sule.