A dramatic altercation unfolded at the Emir’s Palace in Bauchi on Friday as the Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Auwal Jatau, allegedly slapped the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, during a high-profile event.
The incident reportedly occurred during the turbaning ceremony of former Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, who was honoured as Makama Babba 1 of the Bauchi Emirate. The ceremony also coincided with the wedding of Abubakar’s daughter, Khadija Mohammed.
Eyewitnesses said tensions rose after Tuggar made remarks critical of Governor Bala Mohammed’s administration, prompting an irate response from the deputy governor.
“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,” an attendee told our correspondent.
Among the dignitaries present at the event were Vice President Kashim Shettima and Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya.
The confrontation is believed to stem from an ongoing political rivalry between Minister Tuggar and Governor Bala Mohammed. Tuggar, a vocal critic of the PDP-led administration in Bauchi, had earlier accused the governor of leveraging President Bola Tinubu’s tax reforms to launch a covert 2027 presidential campaign.
During a Channels Television interview in January, Tuggar said, “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, the governor’s Chief of Staff, Aminu Gamawa, dismissed Tuggar’s statements as “opportunistic and undiplomatic,” alleging the minister was driven by his own 2027 gubernatorial ambitions.
“Tuggar’s absentee politics and dismal performance as Foreign Affairs Minister have weakened Nigeria’s diplomatic standing, particularly within Africa,” Gamawa said.
As of press time, neither the Bauchi State Government nor the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs had issued an official statement on the altercation.
