Ex-Minister Yusuf Tuggar Alleges Candidate Imposition, Questions Internal Democracy in APC

Fresh controversy has emerged within the ruling APC following remarks attributed to former Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, who reportedly accused party leaders of imposing a governorship candidate on members in Bauchi State.

According to the former minister, the process that led to the emergence of the party's gubernatorial flag bearer lacked democratic participation and failed to provide party members with an opportunity to choose their preferred candidate through a primary election.

Tuggar was quoted as saying that party stakeholders were informed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had selected a candidate, identified as Abubakar, for the governorship race.

“This is not democracy. The President shouldn’t be choosing governor candidates for us. We didn’t do any primaries; they just called and said Tinubu had chosen Abubakar as Bauchi governor candidate,” he reportedly stated.

The comments have reignited debates about internal party democracy, candidate selection processes, and the role of political leadership in determining electoral outcomes.

Political observers note that allegations of candidate imposition have historically generated tensions within major political parties, often leading to divisions, defections, and legal disputes.

As of the time of this report, neither the Presidency nor the APC leadership had publicly responded to the allegations.

The development is expected to fuel further discussions among party members and stakeholders as political preparations continue ahead of future elections.