BAUCHI — The Minister of Foreign Affairs under the first term of the current administration, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has openly revolted against the presidency, accusing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of unconstitutionally imposing an unpopular All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate on the Bauchi State chapter ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The explosive accusation by a former member of the federal cabinet marks a massive structural fracture within the ruling party’s northern elite, revealing deep resentment over the presidency’s high-handed selection methods.
Speaking to key stakeholders and grassroots organizers over the weekend, the former minister declared that the party leadership has completely abandoned its constitutionally mandated internal democracy, relying instead on backroom executive decrees to hand tickets to loyalists.
The Deceptive Ploy: Scrapping the Democratic Process
The crisis broke out following the cancellation of the party’s standard primary election procedures in Bauchi State [1, 2]. Party sources reveal that the presidency, working through its national working committee tools, utilized a controversial “consensus” clause to handpick a preferred gubernatorial candidate, effectively locking out Tuggar and other major local contenders.
Tuggar blasted the selection process as a direct assault on the democratic rights of the Bauchi electorate. He revealed that despite months of grassroots mobilization, heavy financial commitments, and extensive local consultations by various aspirants, the presidency chose to rely on a deceptive, handpicked arrangement to force an unwanted candidate down the throats of local party structures.
Outrage Over Disconnect and Media “Spin”
The public revolt by a former key insider has completely stripped away the narrative of total party cohesion frequently pushed out by Abuja’s public engagement officers. Analysts note that Tuggar’s open defiance proves that the presidency’s attempts to use media spin to present a unified party front cannot withstand the pressure of local political reality.
Critics have pointed out the immense insensitivity of the federal party machinery, which continues to demand absolute loyalty from its northern base while systematically undermining the region’s right to choose its own local leaders. By prioritizing personal loyalty over electoral competence, the presidency stands accused of driving a dangerous wedge through the heart of the Bauchi APC.
A Deep Fracture Ahead of the Polls
Tuggar’s public rejection of the “imposed” candidate signals a massive, looming disaster for the APC’s unity in the Northeast zone. The former minister warned that the party’s high-handedness is an open invitation to a catastrophic defeat at the general election polls, as local voters and aggrieved party structures will aggressively resist any form of political imposition from Abuja.
With the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) candidate filing windows rapidly approaching, this internal betrayal has left the Bauchi State chapter heavily fractured, severely weakening the ruling party’s ability to mount a cohesive front against its opposition rivals.
