Tuggar Campaign Denies Defection Rumours, Condemns 'Deceptive Politics' in Bauchi APC

By Khalid Idris, Bauchi 

BAUCHI- The campaign team of Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar has refuted reports alleging that his supporters in Bauchi State have switched allegiance to another APC governorship hopeful. The team described the reports as an attempt to deceive APC members and the general public.

In a statement released on Saturday, Mr. Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media to Ambassador Tuggar, dismissed the claims as unfounded. 

"The reports making the rounds are false and misleading. No member of the Tuggar Campaign Organisation has withdrawn support for Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs," Abdulkadir said.

He added that the claim was deliberately manufactured to create an impression of growing support elsewhere within the party.

"This is a calculated act of political deception aimed at fabricating a false sense of momentum, misleading party faithful and distorting the realities within the APC," the statement read.

The rebuttal came in response to a press briefing addressed by one Musa Abdullahi in Bauchi. The group, which addressed journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Press Centre, announced it was formerly with Tuggar and had now endorsed Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, SAN, another APC aspirant for the 2027 Bauchi governorship race.

The Tuggar campaign said such actions undermine the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022. "The deliberate spread of false information runs contrary to the spirit of Sections 92 and 95 of the Electoral Act 2022, which call for peaceful, responsible and issue-driven campaigns," Abdulkadir stated.

The organisation maintained that the APC should be focused on credible engagement rather than propaganda. "The APC deserves a contest anchored on ideas, integrity and truth, not on fabricated endorsements and media stunts," the statement said.

It further affirmed that the structure supporting Ambassador Tuggar remains intact and committed to his aspiration.

"We reaffirm that the Tuggar Campaign Organisation remains united and unwavering in its support for Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar. No individual or group has been mandated to negotiate or declare support for any other aspirant on our behalf," Abdulkadir noted.

The campaign called on all contenders and their supporters to uphold ethical standards during the political process. "Political ambition should never be pursued at the expense of truth. We urge all aspirants and their teams to conduct themselves with honesty, integrity and respect for democratic values," the statement concluded.