APC Crisis: Ex-Bauchi Gov, Yuguda, accuses Tinubu’s minister of sabotage

2026-03-18 - 13:45

By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA: The internal rift within the Bauchi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress APC assumed a fresh twist on Wednesday as former Governor Isa Yuguda tackled the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, accusing him of sabotage. In a strongly worded response, Yuguda’s camp, which was responding to a petition filed against him at the national secretariat of the party, dismissed the minister’s actions as a “desperate” attempt to malign his character following a controversial state congress. At the heart of the escalating conflict is an allegation of financial inducement. Yuguda’s media office claimed that a $150,000 bribe was allegedly deployed to influence the APC National Secretariat’s delegation, aiming to subvert a grassroots consensus and hand control of the party structure to the Minister. Yuguda in a statement by his Media Office ame signed by Dapo Okubanjo, said described Tuggar’s moves as a direct threat to the unity of the party in a state critical to the “Renewed Hope” agenda. The confrontation has also turned deeply personal, with Yuguda’s team reminding the public of the historical ties between the two figures. The statement expressed disappointment that the minister would engage in the “character assassination of the man, God used to nurture him into political success.” It noted that Yuguda served as a political benefactor to Tuggar as far back as 2007, facilitating his entry into the House of Representatives. The statement expressed disappointment that the Minister would engage in “character assassination” against the man who mentored his early political career. Highlighting his credentials as a former two-term Governor and federal Minister, Yuguda emphasized that his focus remains on his role as the North East Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors. He argued that a sitting Minister of Foreign Affairs should be preoccupied with strategic national duties rather than “sowing seeds of discord” within the state’s party hierarchy. As the 2027 general elections approach, Yuguda maintained that he would “not descend to the level of politics of pettiness and division,” asserting that his primary objective is ensuring the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and maintaining APC’s dominance in Bauchi.