Life After Power: How Abiodun Isa Yuguda Finds Peace in Gardening and Charity

By Paul Orude

After eight years in the spotlight of Bauchi State Government House, Mrs Abiodun Isa Yuguda now finds fulfilment in a quieter life of tending her garden, praying for her family and offering support to the less privileged who still seek her help.

A versatile and hardworking woman, Abiodun founded the Challenge Your Disability Initiative (CYDI).when her husband assumed office in 2007 and served actively as its coordinator throughout his tenure.

The non-governmental organisation supported the less privileged, including the poor and physically challenged, who trooped to CYDI’s office in large numbers.  It focused was on drug abuse, child trafficking, indulgence in crimes and other dangerous vices are challenges governments at all levels should fight against.

Life is fulfilling when you help the needy – Mrs Abiodun Isa Yuguda

Sources say the impact of CYDI was so massive that most residents revealed that they felt loved and cared for as Abiodun, a retired official of the Nigeria Customs Service and her team used the entire period of her husband’s administration to bring succour to vulnerable groups. Her humanitarian efforts became widely known and gave credibility to her husband’s people-oriented administration.

Many residents of Bauchi State still fondly remember Malam Isa Yuguda as one of the most impactful governors the state has produced thanks in part to Abiodun’ s contribution in her God-given passion for the poor.

She supported her husband, a famous and well loved politician as a devoted wife would do. Now a member of the All Progressives Congress, in 2023, Yuguda campaigned vigorously for the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the last election, Air Marshal Saddique Abubakar (rtd), a former Chief of Air Staff who lost to the incumbent governor, Bala Mohammed.

Mrs Yuguda often accompanied her husband to Bauchi during political engagements as a supportive spouse.

Soft-spoken and modest in appearance, Mrs Yuguda speaks calmly about life after politics. “After that period, I retreated home from the stress of politics,” she said. “I now have time to spend with my children and grandchildren. Most importantly, I have time to reconnect with nature through gardening and occasionally support the physically challenged and vulnerable people who still visit my home in Abuja.” A modest woman of Yoruba extraction, she spend times welcoming guests to her modest apartment which displays an ambience of her modesty despite her husband’s immense wealth.  

A beloved person, the CYDI founder enjoys swimming and is delighted that her current residence, located in an estate tucked in the Federal Capital Territory, has three swimming pools. “When I first went to the swimming area and saw three pools, I was so happy,” she said. “Swimming there also gives me the opportunity to meet friends and colleagues I had lost touch with, and we catch up on life.”

A grandmother and devout Muslim, Abiodun Yuguda regularly fasts and prays for her family.

“As a politician, my husband has many friends and, of course, some enemies. So I am always praying for him and my family,” she said.

The soft-spoken woman spends much of her time with her children and grandchildren, supporting them through both good and challenging moments.

“We face challenges like other human beings, so we submit to Almighty Allah to help us through our frailties in life,” she added.

Although she now enjoys a calmer lifestyle, her husband remains active in politics.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Yuguda as Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Open University of Nigeria, where he is working to balance his political engagements with efforts to support higher education in the country.

He is also expected to play a role in the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda political movement ahead of the 2027 elections. Yuguda remains influential in the North-East and is widely regarded as a key political figure in the region.

Reflecting on her husband’s political journey, Mrs Yuguda said she would always stand by him.

“I will keep supporting my husband. He is a good and generous man who sacrifices his life for others. His kindness is legendary, and many people in Bauchi cherish him. He is a national figure, and as his wife I will always support him,” she said.

For now, however, Abiodun Yuguda continues to live a calm and reflective life, guided by faith and her passion for helping the less privileged.

“The greatest fulfilment in life is touching someone’s life, especially those in need. When God gives me the opportunity to do that, I feel fulfilled. No amount of money can give that kind of fulfilment. And when God gives you good health, it means He wants you to continue the assignment He gave you on earth,” she said.