Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has distanced himself from claims that his supporters have accepted the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Bauchi State and pledged allegiance to the party’s candidate, insisting the reports do not reflect his position.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Alkasim Abdulkadir, the Tuggar Campaign Organisation said individuals who recently addressed journalists were not authorised to speak on behalf of the minister or his political structure.

The organisation said those behind the declaration had admitted they were expressing personal opinions and had no mandate to represent Tuggar or his supporters.

It added that Tuggar’s support base across Bauchi State remained intact and could not be represented by what it described as a handful of self-appointed individuals.

The statement also reiterated the campaign organisation’s longstanding position that no valid APC governorship primary was conducted in Bauchi State, arguing that the process lacked the broad consultation and voluntary agreement required for a legitimate consensus under the party’s constitution.

It maintained that Tuggar remained committed to the APC, its constitution and the rule of law, while urging the media to distinguish between unofficial comments and the campaign’s formal position.

The latest statement comes weeks after Tuggar publicly rejected the outcome of the APC governorship primary, describing the process as flawed and signalling that he would challenge its legitimacy through the party’s internal mechanisms and other lawful channels.

The controversy followed the emergence of former Bauchi State governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar as the APC’s governorship candidate after a consensus arrangement backed by sections of the party leadership.

Since then, rival groups within the Bauchi APC have traded claims over the level of support for the party’s candidate, with some members urging aggrieved aspirants to unite ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

Tuggar, who was appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2023, has remained active in national diplomacy in recent months. He has led Nigeria’s engagements on regional security, economic cooperation and foreign policy, while also representing the country at several international meetings.

Despite his national responsibilities, his political future in Bauchi has remained a subject of speculation following the disputed APC primary, with his supporters insisting that any decision on the next steps will be taken through official party and legal processes rather than public declarations by unauthorised groups.

See full statement below:
PRESS STATEMENT
Tuggar campaign organization refutes allegiance to MA Abubakar, denounce outcome of Bauchi APC Gubernatorial Primary

Our attention has been drawn to reports claiming that supporters of Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar have accepted the outcome of the APC governorship primary in Bauchi State and shifted their allegiance. This claim is false and does not represent the position of the Tuggar Campaign Organisation.

The individuals who addressed the press openly admitted they were not speaking on behalf of Ambassador Tuggar and had no authority to make declarations in his name. Their views are personal and cannot be presented as those of the Ambassador or his supporters.

The Tuggar Campaign Organisation maintains that no valid APC governorship primary election was conducted in Bauchi State. The so-called consensus was neither preceded by broad consultation nor based on the voluntary agreement of all aspirants and key stakeholders. It therefore cannot be regarded as a legitimate consensus under the principles of internal party democracy. Ambassador Tuggar remains committed to the APC, its constitution, and the rule of law.

We urge the media to distinguish between the statements of self-appointed groups and the official position of the Tuggar Campaign Organisation. Ambassador Tuggar’s support base spans all 20 local government areas of Bauchi State and cannot be represented by a handful of individuals.