2027: Tuggar Wants APC Leaders to Shun Fraudulent Primaries
By Kabir Akintayo
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and governorship aspirant in Bauchi State, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) against what he described as “fraudulent” attempts to impose consensus arrangements ahead of the party’s governorship primaries in the state.
Tuggar spoke with journalists in Abuja shortly after undergoing the APC screening exercise for aspirants seeking the party’s governorship ticket.
Describing the screening as smooth and straightforward, the former ambassador to Germany said the exercise was largely routine, requiring aspirants to present their credentials and appear before members of the party’s National Working Committee.
According to him, his longstanding relationship with the APC and its legacy parties made the process seamless.
“I have been a founding member of the APC. Prior to that, I was a member of the ANPP and CPC, and we all came together to form the APC both nationally and in Bauchi State,” he said.
Tuggar recalled that he had previously served as a member of the House of Representatives, chaired a major committee under the ANPP, served as Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany, and later as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He added that he had also contested for governor in 2011 under the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and participated in the APC governorship process in 2014.
Speaking on the mode of primaries likely to emerge in Bauchi State, Tuggar expressed doubts that aspirants would agree on a consensus arrangement.
“To be honest, it is unlikely that there is going to be a consensus in Bauchi State,” he stated.
The former minister raised concerns over what he described as a sudden “flurry of activity” involving the purchase of nomination forms barely 24 hours before the screening exercise.
According to him, the APC must carefully distinguish between genuine aspirants and individuals allegedly entering the race merely to step down later in favour of a preferred candidate.
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“It is important for the APC to sift through those that are seriously committed and dedicated to the party and those that perhaps may just join the race so that they will withdraw for one preferred candidate,” he said.
“And it is important that any fraudulent or untoward practice is not entertained by the APC.”
Tuggar, who is making his third attempt at the Bauchi governorship seat, said the current political climate differs significantly from previous election cycles.
He noted that unlike in 2011 when he contested against an incumbent governor seeking re-election, the present situation involves a governor completing his final tenure and preparing to support a successor.
He also pointed to reforms in Nigeria’s electoral process, including the introduction of electronic card readers and legal restrictions against last-minute defections between political parties.
According to him, such reforms have reduced many of the “anomalies” that characterised earlier elections.
Tuggar stressed that the APC must pay close attention to grassroots politicians and mobilisers capable of delivering victories for the party at both the presidential and governorship levels, as well as legislative contests.
Explaining his motivation for seeking office, the former diplomat said he owed a duty to give back to Nigeria, particularly in rebuilding education and strengthening governance at the state and local government levels.
“Nigeria has been good and kind to me. I am a product of the educational system in Nigeria when it was top-notch,” he said.
He described weak state and local government structures as the “Achilles’ heel” of Nigeria’s governance system, arguing that effective subnational governance remains key to addressing insecurity and the growing number of out-of-school children.
“We need the states to function, we need local governments to function effectively. That is the way we can fight insecurity and tackle the issue of out-of-school children,” he added.
Tuggar lamented the decline in the quality of education in the country, saying many graduates today no longer enjoy the standard of learning available to earlier generations.
“We owe it to Nigeria and Nigerians to fix our education,” he said.
