Ex-Foreign Minister Tuggar Denies Criticising Tinubu, Pledges Loyalty

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has dismissed reports suggesting that he criticised President Bola Tinubu, reaffirming his loyalty to the President and the current administration.

Tuggar made the clarification in a statement issued on Sunday in Bauchi by his media aide, Abdulkadir Alkassim, who said the former minister’s comments had been misrepresented and taken out of context.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Ambassador Tuggar did not criticise or question President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in any way. Any suggestion to the contrary is false and a deliberate distortion of his remarks,” Alkassim said.

He added that Tuggar remains a committed supporter of President Tinubu and is fully aligned with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda as well as the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government.

According to the statement, the former minister’s comments in a recent Hausa-language interview were instead focused on internal party matters within the APC in Bauchi State.

It explained that Tuggar emphasised the need for transparency, fairness and inclusiveness in the selection of party candidates, insisting that members should be allowed to freely choose representatives through credible and competitive processes.

The statement further stressed that his remarks were strictly within the context of strengthening internal democracy in the party and should not be interpreted as criticism of the President or the federal government.

Tuggar reiterated his commitment to the unity and stability of the APC, noting that his position remains supportive of President Tinubu’s policies and governance direction.

The clarification comes amid heightened political interpretation of comments by public officials, particularly in relation to internal party dynamics ahead of future elections.