TUGGAR DISOWNS SUPPORTERS BACKING ABUBAKAR, DENIES ENDORSING APC CANDIDATE

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has distanced himself from a group of supporters who publicly declared support for the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Bauchi State, Mohammed Abubakar, describing their action as unauthorised and based on “deliberate misinformation.”

In a statement made available to the media on Sunday by Tuggar’s Special Assistant on Media, Alkasim Abdulkadir, on behalf of the Tuggar Campaign Organisation, he said reports suggesting that his supporters had abandoned him and pledged allegiance to Abubakar were false and intended to mislead party members.

Tuggar, who recently resigned as Minister of Foreign Affairs to contest the APC governorship ticket, lost the party’s primary election to former Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar.

“The Tuggar Campaign Organisation strongly condemns the false and misleading claims made during a press conference by individuals aligned with M. A. Abubakar, purporting that supporters of Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar have abandoned their conviction and pledged allegiance to another aspirant,” the statement read in parts.

It added, “This claim is categorically false. It is a calculated act of political deception designed to manufacture a false narrative of momentum, mislead party members, and distort the true state of affairs within the All Progressives Congress.”

Alkasim further argued that the alleged misinformation was inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, particularly Sections 92 and 95, which promote peaceful, responsible, and issue-based campaigns.

“The deliberate dissemination of false information to mislead party members and the public is inconsistent with both the spirit and provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

The APC deserves a contest defined by ideas, credibility, and respect for the truth—not manufactured endorsements and media theatrics,” the statement maintained.

It insisted that no individual or group had been authorised to negotiate or declare support for any other aspirant on behalf of Tuggar.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Tuggar Campaign Organisation remains united, focused, and unwavering in its support for Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar. No individual or group has been authorised to negotiate, announce, or declare allegiance to any other aspirant on behalf of the campaign,” the statement added.

Alkasim called on all aspirants and their supporters to conduct their campaigns with honesty and respect for democratic values.

“We therefore call on all aspirants and their supporters to immediately desist from the dissemination of falsehoods and to conduct their campaigns with honesty, integrity, and respect for democratic norms. The pursuit of political ambition must never come at the expense of truth,” the organisation cautioned.

However, it was gathered that the controversy followed a press conference held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre in Bauchi, where a group led by one of Tuggar’s coordinators, Aminu Abdullahi, announced its support for Abubakar.

Speaking at the event, Abdullahi said the group resolved to back the APC governorship candidate to improve the party’s chances of reclaiming power in Bauchi State in the 2027 general election.

“We are ready to support the APC and its governorship candidate. The party primary has been conducted, and a winner has emerged. We must all rally around him to ensure victory in the general election,”  Abdullahi said.

He added that members of the group have remained loyal to the APC since its formation, recalling that they followed Tuggar from the defunct Congress for Progressive Change into the APC in 2014.

“Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar is one of the founding members of the APC. He led us from the CPC into the APC, and we have remained committed to the party. Although he contested for the party’s governorship ticket and lost to M. A. Abubakar, SAN, we have accepted the outcome in good faith,” he maintained.

The group, thus, reaffirmed its loyalty to the APC and its governorship candidate, insisting that its decision was in line with the party’s constitution.