According to a report by Arise news on Monday 25th May 2026, The political ambitions of several high-ranking former members of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet have suffered a severe setback.
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, alongside two other former ministers, have failed to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship tickets in their respective states.
The losses come less than two months after the ministers resigned their plum federal appointments to pursue executive positions in the upcoming 2027 general elections.
In Bauchi State, the political calculations of the immediate past Foreign Affairs Minister fell short during the APC governorship primary election. Former Governor Mohammed Abubakar emerged victorious in a heavily contested race, soundly defeating Tuggar and five other political heavyweights.
Announcing the official results, John Abang, the Chairman of the APC Governorship and House of Assembly Primary Committee for Bauchi State, confirmed Abubakar as the party’s official flagbearer.
Ambassador Tuggar had officially resigned his ministerial position on March 30, 2026, just ahead of the strict March 31 deadline. The exit was in direct compliance with President Bola Tinubu’s directive, which mandated that any political appointees harboring ambitions for elective offices in the 2027 polls must step down from their federal roles.
While Tuggar’s tenure at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was widely praised for driving Nigeria’s “4D Foreign Policy Strategy and boosting regional economic diplomacy, his grassroots machinery was unable to dismantle the established political structure of former Governor Abubakar.
Despite Tuggar’s recent high-profile appeals for transparent and direct primaries in Bauchi, the ultimate outcome leaves him and two other unnamed former cabinet colleagues outside the 2027 gubernatorial ballot.
The defeats suffered by these former cabinet members highlight an increasingly volatile primary season within the ruling APC. Across the country, the party’s internal selection processes have triggered widespread realignments, leaving both former executive officials and dozens of incumbent federal lawmakers fighting for their political survival.
As the APC solidifies its lineup of flagbearers for the 2027 general elections, political analysts view these primary upsets as a clear signal: holding a powerful federal appointment under the Tinubu administration does not guarantee local electoral dominance.
With their ministerial desks cleared and their governorship bids halted, these former key actors of the “Renewed Hope” administration now face an uncertain political future as the race towtowardard 2027 intensifies.