Mild drama unfolded at the Emir’s Palace in Bauchi on Friday when the state’s Deputy Governor, Auwal Jatau, allegedly slapped the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, during a heated exchange.
The incident took place during the turbaning of former Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, as Makama Babba 1 of the Bauchi Emirate, which coincided with the wedding of his daughter, Khadija Mohammed. The high-profile event saw the attendance of several key political figures, including Vice President Kashim Shettima and Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, among others.
Eyewitnesses reported that the clash followed disparaging comments made by Tuggar about the administration of Governor Bala Mohammed, which the Deputy Governor found offensive.
“The Deputy Governor was visibly furious. It was a shocking moment. If not for Vice President Shettima’s swift intervention, it could have escalated badly,” a source told our correspondent.
This altercation is believed to stem from the long-standing political tension between Tuggar and Governor Bala Mohammed. Tuggar, a vocal critic of the PDP-led government in the state, had previously accused the governor of leveraging President Bola Tinubu’s tax reforms to advance his 2027 presidential ambitions.
In a January appearance on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics, Tuggar stated: “Governor Bala Mohammed showed clearly that he did not have any sincerity of purpose. He used the tax bill debate to jumpstart his presidential campaign.”
Reacting to the comments, Governor Mohammed’s Chief of Staff, Aminu Gamawa, described Tuggar’s remarks as “opportunistic and undiplomatic,” accusing the minister of trying to gain favor with the Tinubu administration.
“Tuggar’s ambition to run for governor in 2027 is the real reason behind these constant attacks. But maligning a performing governor won’t help him,” Gamawa said.
He also criticized the minister for his alleged “absentee politics” and poor performance in foreign affairs, which he claimed had weakened Nigeria’s diplomatic standing, especially in Africa.
At the time of reporting, neither the Bauchi State Government nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had issued any official statement.
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