By Segun Adewale in Bauchi
A socio – political pressure group, Tuggar Vanguard has challenged former Bauchi state Governor, Isah Yuguda to prove allegations he made that Nigerian minister of foreign affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, offered $150,000 inducement to influence the outcome of the recent State Congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement by the Chairman of Tuggar Vanguard, Garba Mohammed which was made available to Journalists Weekend, described Yuguda’s claims as “weighty” but lacking verifiable facts.
The chairman of the group emphasised that allegations of bribery cannot rest on conjecture, hearsay, or political bitterness, and should be supported by credible proof.
“If evidence exists, it should be laid before the appropriate authorities. Until then, it remains an allegation and must be treated as such,” Mohammed said, expressing regret that Yuguda would resort to unsubstantiated claims, damaging his own reputation.
According to him, “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. 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.
The group’s Chairman then questioned Yuguda’s credibility, citing his history of high-profile party movements, and urged him to address concerns through lawful party channels rather than making public allegations.
“Bauchi cannot afford a politics of regression, nor can it prosper under the weight of old rivalries dressed up as principled dissent. What the state needs now is forward-looking leadership committed to peace, progress, and responsible engagement,” he said.
The Tuggar Vanguard chairman emphasised that Tuggar’s political rise in Bauchi State was based on his own merit and grassroots support, not Yuguda’s influence.
He noted that many APC stakeholders in Bauchi State haven’t echoed Yuguda’s objections, raising questions about his representation of party sentiment.
The focus, Mohammed said, should be on transforming Bauchi into an agricultural and mineral powerhouse, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to him, “Bauchi cannot afford a politics of regression, nor can it prosper under the weight of old rivalries dressed up as principled dissent. What the state needs now is forward-looking leadership committed to peace, progress and responsible engagement.
“In line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the focus should be on transforming Bauchi, the fifth largest and fifth most populous state in Nigeria, into the agricultural and mineral powerhouse of Nigeria”.
