The Tuggar Campaign Organisation has debunked reports indicating that supporters of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, have accepted the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Bauchi State and pledged allegiance to the candidate, Muhammad Abubakar.

The organisation insisted that no valid primary election was conducted by the APC in the state.

The reports said a group of supporters had, at a press conference, declared support for Mr Abubakar, a former governor of the state, who won the APC primary election in May ahead of the 2027 election.

However, Mr Tuggar, in a statement by his media aide, Alkasim Abdulkadir, on Thursday, quoted the campaign organisation as describing the claims as completely false, misleading, and unauthorised.

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According to the statement, the individuals who addressed the press regarding the supposed acceptance openly acknowledged that they were not speaking on behalf of Mr Tuggar and lacked the authority to issue declarations on his behalf.

“Their views are personal and cannot be presented as those of the ambassador or his supporters,” Mr Abdulkadir stated, urging media organisations to verify sources before publishing reports concerning the campaign.

Reiterating its stance on the party’s selection process, the campaign organisation maintained that no valid APC governorship primary election took place in Bauchi State. It rejected the claims of a consensus candidate, noting that the arrangement lacked broad stakeholder engagement and democratic merit.

“The so-called consensus was neither preceded by broad consultation nor based on the voluntary agreement of all aspirants and key stakeholders,” the statement read. “It therefore cannot be regarded as a legitimate consensus under the principles of internal party democracy.”

Mr Abdulkadir affirmed that Mr Tuggar remains a committed member of the APC, dedicated to upholding the party’s constitution and the rule of law.

He advised the press and the general public to distinguish between the actions of self-appointed groups and official communications from the campaign team.

He added that Mr Tuggar’s political support base spans across all 20 local government areas of Bauchi State and cannot be represented by a handful of unauthorised individuals.

Background

Mr Tuggar’s reaction followed a press conference by a group in Bauchi State claiming to speak on his behalf, which declared support for the APC governorship candidate, Mr Abubakar.

The group’s leader, Aminu Abdullahi, claimed that as supporters of the former minister, they remain in the APC and are not planning a mass defection to another party in the state.

Like in many other states, the APC primary in Bauchi State featured a crowded field of prominent political figures—including Mr Abubakar, Mr Tuggar, and other influential stakeholders—competing for the party’s governorship ticket.

The former minister insisted that the outcome of the APC governorship primary that produced Mr Abubakar was shrouded in fraud.