There was a dramatic scene at the Emir’s Palace in Bauchi on Friday as the state’s Deputy Governor, Auwal Jatau, allegedly slapped the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, during a heated confrontation.
The altercation occurred at a high-profile event — the turbaning of former Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, as Makama Babba 1 of the Bauchi Emirate.
The ceremony, which also coincided with the wedding of Abubakar’s daughter, Khadija Mohammed, drew dignitaries including Vice President Kashim Shettima and Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya.
Eyewitnesses say tensions boiled over after Minister Tuggar reportedly made disparaging remarks about the Bala Mohammed-led administration, a comment that didn’t sit well with Jatau.
“The Deputy Governor was visibly furious. It was a shocking moment,” a source at the palace told Daily Post. “If not for Vice President Shettima’s swift intervention, it could have escalated badly.”
The incident is believed to be rooted in a long-standing political rivalry between Minister Tuggar and Governor Bala Mohammed. The Foreign Minister, a known critic of the PDP-led administration, had in January accused the governor of leveraging President Bola Tinubu’s tax reforms for his own political ambitions.
“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,” Tuggar said during a Channels TV interview.
Reacting to Tuggar’s persistent criticisms, the Governor’s Chief of Staff, Aminu Gamawa, fired back, describing the minister’s statements as “opportunistic and undiplomatic.”
“Tuggar’s ambition to run for governor in 2027 is the real reason behind these constant attacks,” Gamawa asserted. “But maligning a performing governor won’t help him.”
Gamawa also accused the Foreign Minister of absentee politics, saying his alleged poor performance had weakened Nigeria’s diplomatic influence, especially within Africa.
As of press time, neither the Bauchi State Government nor the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued an official statement regarding the incident.
