Bwacha, APC Taraba Trade Accusations as Dispute Over RFI Interview Deepens
A political dispute between the camp of Senator Emmanuel Bwacha and the Taraba State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified following competing statements over political conduct and comments allegedly attributed to the party’s State Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Bawa.
The controversy brings together three related developments: criticism of Senator Bwacha’s political approach, a detailed response from the Bwacha Media Team, and a counter-response from the APC Media Directorate.
At the centre of the latest exchange is an alleged statement concerning the Deputy Governorship position and the Mumuye people, which the Bwacha camp says was made by Bawa during an RFI Hausa Service interview on Sunday, August 16, 2026.
The APC has categorically denied that its chairman made the alleged statement.
The Initial Criticism
The first statement, titled “Thuggery and Falsehood Have No Place in Modern Politics: A Call for Principled Leadership,” criticised Senator Emmanuel Bwacha’s political strategy ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The publication accused the senator of relying on what it described as thuggery, false alarms, fear-mongering and misinformation.
It argued that voters increasingly expect transparency, integrity, accountability and substantive policy proposals from political leaders.
The publication called on Bwacha to engage voters through town halls and present concrete proposals on infrastructure, healthcare, education and economic opportunities.
It further urged his advisers and supporters to encourage a shift towards constructive political engagement, arguing that leadership based on vision and policy would be more sustainable than politics driven by intimidation or negative campaigning.
The Bwacha Media Team subsequently rejected the characterisation of its principal’s political approach.
Bwacha Camp’s Response
In its rejoinder, the Bwacha Media Team accused the APC Media Directorate of responding with what it described as an unnecessarily combative statement to an earlier publication concerning comments attributed to Bawa.
The team rejected accusations of lies, blackmail, fabrication, cheap propaganda and desperation.
It said the statement at the centre of the controversy was made during an RFI Hausa Service interview involving the APC chairman on Sunday, August 16, at about 7:00am.
The Bwacha camp also addressed the APC’s demand for evidence.
It explained that because the interview was broadcast on radio, rather than television, an audio recording or broadcast record—not a video—would be the relevant evidence.
The team therefore challenged the APC Media Directorate to produce the complete RFI Hausa interview and allow Tarabans to listen to it themselves.
Its argument was that if Bawa never made the statement attributed to him, the recording would vindicate him. But if he made the statement, the Bwacha team argued, the allegations of fabrication and propaganda against it would be undermined.
The team further maintained that the controversy was not about describing the office of Deputy Governor as a traditional stool.
Rather, it said the concern was the political implication and interpretation of the chairman’s alleged remarks concerning the Mumuye people and the process of selecting a deputy governorship candidate.
The Bwacha camp argued that the Mumuye people were politically conscious enough to listen to the alleged statement and draw their own conclusions.
It called on Bawa to clarify his position if his remarks had been misunderstood.
APC’s Counter-Response
The APC Media Directorate rejected the allegations in equally strong terms.
In its statement dated Monday, August 17, the APC said the State Chairman had been made aware of what it described as a false and misleading narration being circulated by the media handlers of a gubernatorial hopeful.
The party specifically denied that Bawa told the Mumuye people that the office of Deputy Governor was not a traditional stool or that the APC could select its deputy governorship candidate from any tribe.
The APC described the allegation as completely false and accused the Bwacha media team of desperation, blackmail and cheap propaganda.
The party challenged the Bwacha camp to substantiate its claim by producing a video, audio recording or official statement from Bawa or any of his aides.
The APC also referred to an earlier allegation involving General T.Y. Danjuma, claiming that the Bwacha camp had previously circulated a statement without producing video, audio or an official press release to support it.
According to the APC, the latest controversy represents another attempt to create political narratives without sufficient evidence.
The party urged the Bwacha media team to abandon what it described as lies and propaganda and instead concentrate on issue-based political engagement.
The APC also appealed to Tarabans to disregard what it termed “cheap propaganda.”
Most importantly, the party stated categorically that Alhaji Abubakar Bawa never made the alleged statement, either publicly or privately, and said he holds the Mumuye people in high esteem and respects every tribe and community in Taraba State.
Two Directly Opposing Positions
The dispute is therefore based on two directly opposing claims.
The Bwacha Media Team maintains that the statement was made and wants the full RFI recording released.
The APC Media Directorate maintains that the statement was never made and wants the Bwacha camp to provide evidence to support its allegation.
Neither side accepts the other’s account.
The disagreement also extends to the interpretation of the alleged remarks.
The Bwacha camp says the issue concerns the political meaning of the statement and its possible implications for the Mumuye people.
The APC says the entire allegation is fabricated and rejects the suggestion that its chairman made any statement capable of being interpreted in that manner.
The Evidence Question
The demand for evidence has consequently become the most significant point in the dispute.
For the Bwacha camp, the RFI interview itself provides the appropriate avenue for verification.
For the APC, the responsibility lies with the party’s accusers to establish that the statement was actually made before the allegation can be treated as credible.
The full recording, if obtainable and authentic, could potentially settle the factual question by establishing what was said and in what context.
Until such evidence is independently verified, the public is left with competing accounts from two politically interested sides.
A Wider Political Battle
The disagreement is taking place against the backdrop of preparations for the 2027 governorship election, when political competition in Taraba is expected to become increasingly intense.
The initial criticism of Bwacha focused on campaign style and alleged reliance on intimidation, misinformation and negative politics.
The Bwacha response shifted attention to the alleged comments by the APC chairman and demanded accountability and clarification.
The APC response, meanwhile, returned the focus to what it described as false reporting and political propaganda.
Both sides have therefore framed themselves as defending truth and responsible political communication while portraying the other as contributing to an unhealthy political environment.
The Ethnic Dimension
The mention of the Mumuye people has made the dispute particularly sensitive.
The Bwacha camp maintains that the Mumuye electorate has the right to hear and interpret political statements for itself.
The APC insists that its chairman respects the Mumuye people and all ethnic communities in Taraba and rejects any allegation suggesting otherwise.
Both positions point to the importance of handling ethnic and political issues carefully in a state characterised by considerable ethnic and political diversity.
What the Dispute Says About 2027
Beyond the personalities involved, the exchange reflects the kind of political contest that may increasingly define the road to 2027.
Political parties and aspirants will seek to challenge their opponents, defend their records and shape public opinion.
The challenge will be ensuring that political competition does not become dominated by unverified allegations, personal attacks or ethnic interpretations.
For voters, the more important questions will ultimately concern policies and performance: who can improve infrastructure, strengthen education and healthcare, create economic opportunities, support agriculture and improve security?
The present dispute may therefore be only one episode in a much larger political contest.
For now, the central question remains unresolved.
The Bwacha Media Team says the alleged statement was made and calls for the RFI recording to be released. The APC Media Directorate says the statement was never made and challenges the Bwacha camp to prove otherwise.
The competing claims leave the matter open to verification.
As Taraba moves closer to the 2027 election, the ability of political actors to support serious allegations with credible evidence—and to engage voters on substantive issues—may prove just as important as the political arguments themselves.
Ultimately, it will be the electorate that determines which candidates and political narratives deserve their confidence.
