Bauchi: Group Challenges Yuguda Over $150,000 Bribery Claim Against Tuggar

A support group, Tuggar Vanguard, has strongly rebutted allegations by former Bauchi State Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, accusing the minister of foreign affairs, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, offered a $150,000 bribe to influence party processes during the All Progressives Congress(APC) congresses in Bauchi State.

In a press release issued to journalists in Bauchi on Friday, the group’s chairman, Garba Mohammed, described the claim as a serious accusation that must be backed by verifiable evidence. He was reacting to reports alleging financial inducement linked to the APC delegation’s report on party congresses in the state.

He said, “With respect to the allegation of financial inducement to the tune of $150,000 in relation to the APC delegation’s report on the party congresses in Bauchi State, this is a serious accusation that demands credible proof. In any lawful society, allegations of bribery cannot rest on conjecture, hearsay or political bitterness.

“If evidence exists, it should be laid before the appropriate authorities. Until then, it remains an allegation and must be treated as such. More troubling, however, is the damage Yuguda does to his own reputation by resorting to such an unsubstantiated claim. That he would wish to sink so low says far more about his feeling of entitlement and where he stands today in the political life of Bauchi than it does about ambassador Tuggar.

“Bauchi needs and deserves real change, not recycled bitterness, political grandstanding and unverified accusations of those who feel it is their right to hold feudal-like reins of power in Bauchi,” he said.

He warned that making unsubstantiated claims could damage Yuguda’s own reputation, noting that such statements reflect more on the accuser than the accused.

The group also dismissed claims that Yuguda played a role in Tuggar’s political rise, pointing out that the minister won election in 2007 to represent Gamawa Federal Constituency based on personal merit and grassroots support.

“At the time, Yuguda was engaged in his own political battles in Bauchi State, and Tuggar’s emergence was neither dependent on nor defined by Yuguda’s influence.”

On allegations that Tuggar is destabilising the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi, Mohammed maintained that the minister has demonstrated consistency and loyalty throughout his political career.

“From the ANPP to the Buhari political movement, to the CPC, and later to the APC, he has remained within the same progressive fold. He has not been known for political flip-flopping. By contrast, Yuguda’s political history includes a high-profile party movement that continues to shape public perceptions of his role in party politics. That record alone makes his present accusations against others on party stability uncomfortable and open to legitimate scrutiny,” he added.

He further noted that Yuguda appears to be among the few APC stakeholders openly opposing the outcome of the party’s congresses, as other prominent figures have not publicly shared his position.

The group urged aggrieved members to channel their concerns through internal party mechanisms instead of making public accusations capable of escalating tensions.

Mohammed emphasised that Bauchi’s political space should not be dominated by individual grievances, insisting that the state’s development must take priority over personal ambitions.

“What the state requires at this critical moment is mature leadership, disciplined engagement and a clear commitment to progress. The people of Bauchi deserve a politics that lifts the state forward, not one that seeks to drag it backward into division and stagnation.

“It is also noteworthy that among the many APC stakeholders in Bauchi State, Yuguda appears to be one of the very few publicly objecting in this manner to the outcome of the congresses.”

He further said, “The party in the state includes former governors, former and serving senators, former and serving members of the House of Representatives, former and serving members of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, former ministers, and other prominent stakeholders. The fact that many of these figures have not echoed Yuguda’s position raises obvious questions about whether his grievance is truly representative of broader party sentiment.”

Garba Mohammed called on political actors to focus on issues affecting citizens and align with the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly in positioning Bauchi as a hub for agriculture and mineral development.

“That is the real challenge and opportunity. It is where the focus of serious-minded leaders should be,” Mohammed stated.