A governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Bauchi State, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has cautioned the party against adopting what he described as imposed consensus arrangements ahead of the party’s governorship primary election.
Tuggar spoke after participating in the APC screening exercise, which he described as smooth and routine, noting that aspirants were required to present their original credentials before the screening panel constituted by the party’s National Working Committee.
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs said his long-standing involvement in the APC and its legacy parties made the exercise seamless.
“I am a founding member of the APC. Before that, I was in the ANPP and CPC, and we all came together to form the APC both nationally and in Bauchi State,” he said.
Speaking on the mode of primary to be adopted, Tuggar said a genuine consensus among aspirants in Bauchi State appeared unlikely due to the increasing number of contestants joining the race.
According to him, some individuals may have entered the contest only to later withdraw in support of preferred aspirants, thereby creating what he termed a false impression of consensus.
He urged the party leadership to ensure fairness and transparency in the process by identifying aspirants genuinely committed to the growth of the APC.
“Any fraudulent or untoward practice should not be entertained by the APC,” he stated.
Tuggar further expressed confidence in his chances in the contest, noting that the current political atmosphere differs from previous elections he contested, especially his 2011 governorship bid under the Congress for Progressive Change.
He also pointed to reforms in Nigeria’s electoral system, including technological improvements and amendments to the Electoral Act, which he said had reduced irregularities associated with past elections.
The aspirant called on the APC leadership to support grassroots politicians capable of mobilising voters and delivering victories for the party at all levels.
On his motivation for seeking office, Tuggar said Nigeria’s once-thriving education system played a major role in shaping his future, stressing the need for leaders to restore quality education across the country.
He added that strengthening education and governance at state and local government levels would help address insecurity and reduce the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
