The Yusuf Maitama Tuggar Foundation has thrown down a gauntlet to Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Bauchi State, declaring he will lose the 2027 election. The Foundation, backed by the former foreign affairs minister, made the assertion during a press briefing at its office in Bauchi.
Mallam Ningi spoke for the Foundation, alongside figures including Sule Wada and Sani Shehu, a former Bauchi State chairman of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP). He rejected Abubakar's emergence as the APC's candidate, calling it "unconstitutional and lacking legitimate basis."
The Foundation questioned how Abubakar secured the nomination in the first place. Ningi pointed out that Abubakar himself announced his candidacy rather than the APC making an official declaration, and the party hasn't publicly confirmed it yet.
In a June 2, 2026 appeal letter to APC national chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, the Foundation made a bombshell claim: no governorship primary election happened in Bauchi State. "Consequently, the declaration of any aspirant as the winner of a primary election that never took place is unfounded, unjustifiable and devoid of any legitimate basis," the letter read.
The Foundation also highlighted shifting narratives from Abubakar about how he clinched the ticket. He first claimed all aspirants endorsed him, then later said a second meeting occurred where a primary was held and he won with specific vote tallies.
Abubakar carries baggage from his 2019 loss to current governor Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir, the Foundation noted. He'd also failed to rebuild grassroots structures in the years since.
Forcing Abubakar as candidate risks serious damage to APC's 2027 prospects, the Foundation warned, citing "widespread negative reactions and defections" already emerging.
The Foundation's deeper argument centred on fairness across the state's senatorial districts. Katagum Senatorial District hasn't produced a governor since late Governor Abubakar Tatari Ali in 1983, creating what the Foundation called "a strong feeling of political marginalisation."
The group argued the time had come to rotate the governorship to Katagum. "In the interest of justice, equity and balanced political representation, we believe that the time has come to give the Division a fair opportunity to produce the next Governor of Bauchi State," the letter stated.
The Foundation put forward Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, a Katagum native, as its preferred candidate. It praised his "unwavering commitment" to progressive politics, from the APP and ANPP through the CPC to the APC.
