APC Stakeholders Defend Bauchi Primaries, Blast Tuggar Foundation Over ‘False’ Claims
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A coalition of All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders in Bauchi State has strongly defended the outcome of the party’s recent gubernatorial primary election, dismissing claims by the Tuggar Foundation that the exercise did not take place.
The reaction follows a recent press briefing by the Tuggar Foundation, addressed by Shehu Barau Ningi, who alleged that no governorship primary election took place in the state.
They declared former Governor Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar (SAN) as the duly elected and legitimate flagbearer for the upcoming governorship election.
The Group Insisted In a press statement signed by the Chairman, Mallam Umar Faruk Bala, and Secretary,Dr Ibrahim Abubakar Dawaki, respectively, and released to journalists in Bauchi, that the governorship primary election complied fully with the APC Constitution and the Electoral Act of 2022.
The group described the Tuggar Foundation’s claims as an attempt to mislead the public after failing to win the ticket.
According to the statement, the internal election followed months of extensive grassroots consultations across all 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Bauchi State.
“The process reportedly culminated in a transparent vote witnessed by party officials, security agencies, and electoral stakeholders, emerging with former Governor Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar (SAN) as the validly elected candidate,” the group said.
The group questioned the credibility of the individuals who led the Tuggar Foundation’s press conference.
They alleged that the briefing was anchored by political marauders and mercenaries who are no longer genuine members, claiming that Shehu Barau Ningi defected from the APC in 2019 and never returned.
It also identified another critic at the briefing, Sani Shehu (alias Sanin Malam), as a prominent figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The group questioned how former members of opposition parties like the PRP and ADC gained the authority to interfere in internal APC affairs.
The statement urged the Tuggar Foundation to maintain its status as a non-partisan organization rather than operating as an extension of a political faction.
It further defended the choice of M.A. Abubakar, highlighting his past achievements as governor between 2015 and 2019, including the clearance of ₦20 billion in salary arrears and the construction of over 1,600 kilometers of roads.
The group stated that Abubakar remains the most experienced candidate to lead the state in 2027.
The group also cautioned the party leadership against altering the primary results, warning that substituting the candidate would create costly divisions that the APC might not survive in the upcoming general elections.
The group drew a sharp contrast between Ambassador Tuggar and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.
They praised Minister Pate for bringing “magical transformation” to the state’s health sector and urged Tuggar to emulate Pate’s patriotic disposition rather than sponsoring character assassination campaigns.
Quoting the Holy Quran (Q2:216) to emphasize acceptance of destiny, the group urged all aggrieved members to sheathe their swords.
They extended a hand of fellowship to Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar and his supporters, asking them to replicate the support they gave to the party in 2019 to ensure a total victory for the APC in Bauchi State.
