Drama as Bauchi Deputy Gov, Jatau Aslaps Foreign Affairs minister Tuggar

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The state’s deputy governor, Auwal Jatau, allegedly slapped Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, the minister of foreign affairs, during a heated argument at the Emir’s Palace in Bauchi on Friday, causing some minor drama.

The incident happened during the wedding of his daughter, Khadija Mohammed, and the turbaning of Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, the former governor of Bauchi State, as Makama Babba 1 of Bauchi Emirate.

Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and Vice President Kashim Shettima were among the prominent political personalities that attended the high-profile event.

Witnesses claim that the altercation started when the foreign minister made derogatory remarks about the administration run by Bala Mohammed, which the deputy governor apparently found upsetting.

“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.

It is thought that the fight is an extension of the political feud that has existed between Governor Bala Mohammed and Minister Tuggar for a long time. Tuggar, a fervent opponent of the state’s PDP-led administration.

Tuggar had already charged the governor with launching his 2027 presidential campaign with President Bola Tinubu’s tax reforms.

Tuggar has stated during an appearance on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics in January: “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.”

In response, Aminu Gamawa, the governor’s chief of staff, called the minister’s remarks “opportunistic and undiplomatic,” charging him with trying to win favors from 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 went on to say that Nigeria’s diplomatic might, particularly in Africa, had been weakened by the minister’s alleged “absentee politics” and subpar foreign policy performance.

Neither the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the Bauchi State Government had released an official statement on the subject as of the time this story was filed.

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