APC: ‘WE CANNOT REMAIN IN PARTY WHERE DEMOCRACY IS NOT PRACTISED’ – EX-MINISTER’SSUPPORTERS THREATEN

May 23, 2026 • Dons Eze • 2 min read

Supporters of a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, have threatened to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) if the party imposes a governorship candidate in Bauchi State.

The supporters made their position known on Friday amid speculation that a former Bauchi State governor, Muhammad Abubakar, may emerge as the party’s consensus candidate.

Speaking with Saturday Punch, the Director of Media, Tuggar Foundation, Ibrahim Malam, said members of the movement would not remain in a party where internal democracy was allegedly being undermined.

Malam said the position was that of Tuggar’s supporters and not the former minister himself.

According to him, the movement would not support any arrangement that denied members the right to freely choose their candidate.

“Regarding this narration of somebody becoming the APC flag bearer who is not competent, somebody who lost an election, we can’t remain in the party where democracy is not practised.

“I’m saying this on behalf of my team, not on behalf of the former minister Yusuf Tuggar. But this is our collective mind with the people coordinating his social media. We cannot support a party where democracy is not being practised,” he said.

‘We Reject Imposition’
Also speaking, a pharmacist and social media influencer, Bello Adamu, popularly known as Elder Karofi, rejected what he described as an attempt to impose a candidate on party members.

Adamu alleged that the reported consensus arrangement in favour of Abubakar amounted to injustice.

“We reject this imposition, and I don’t think any one of us is going to support anybody if that happens,” he stated.

Adamu said consultations were ongoing among Tuggar’s supporters on the next political step.

He added that the discussions included the possibility of defecting from the APC to another political party if the alleged imposition were to stand.

Adamu also criticised Abubakar’s record as former governor, insisting that Tuggar remained a more competent option among the aspirants seeking the APC governorship ticket in Bauchi State.

Dons Eze

DONS EZE, PhD, Political Philosopher and Journalist of over four decades standing, worked in several newspaper houses across the country, and rose to the positions of Editor and General Manager. A UNESCO Fellow in Journalism, Dr. Dons Eze, a prolific writer and author of many books, attended several courses on Journalism and Communication in both Nigeria and overseas, including a Postgraduate Course on Journalism at Warsaw, Poland; Strategic Communication and Practical Communication Approach at RIPA International, London, the United Kingdom, among others.