Aides of the minister of foreign affairs and the deputy governor of Bauchi State, yesterday debunked claims of a physical brawl between the minister, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, and the deputy governor o, Auwal Jatau, during an altercation in a bus conveying them to Bauchi City from the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport on Friday.
Our correspondent gathered that the deputy governor had waded into the altercation which was initially between Governor Bala Mohammed and Ambassador Tuggar.
The minister’s media aide, Alkasim Abdulkadir, quoted a credible source in the bus as saying that tension began when members of Governor Mohammed’s entourage reportedly made unpleasant remarks directed at the minister. Matters escalated when the governor allegedly insulted the minister’s father.
This led the minister to confront the governor directly, challenging him to repeat the insult with a warning that such disrespect would not go unanswered. The governor reportedly retreated, and at that point, the deputy governor attempted to intervene.
His involvement escalated the altercation, making others onboard the bus to intervene.
Unconfirmed reports said Jatau allegedly slapped the minister, but this was debunked by those present, according to his aide.
Rather, Tuggar was said to have warned him off, saying the matter did not concern him.
The minister’s aide said contrary to reports, no physical exchange took place, and suggestions that the minister was humiliated were entirely false.
The incident occurred in the presence of Vice President Kashim Shettima, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate and some senators in the bus.
The vice president, sensing the rising tension, had asked former governor Adamu Mu’azu to calm the situation.
When contacted, the spokesman of the Bauchi governor, Mukhatar Gidado, declined comment, saying he wasn’t a witness and hadn’t been briefed about it.
A source close to Tuggar who pleaded for anonymity however confirmed the altercation, adding that Jatau intervened to support his principal, but did not confirm any physical exchange or slap between the deputy governor and the minister.
The media aide to the deputy governor, Muslim Lawal, said his principal did not slap the minister, but, he declined comment on the altercation.
“No, no, how can a deputy governor slap a minister? I don’t think such can happen in Bauchi because I know my principal as a responsible leader. I am not aware of that and I am hearing it for the first time. If there is any evidence that the deputy governor did that you can speak on that. We don’t know about it. The deputy governor cannot do that and that is our position.”
Recently, relations soared between Governor Bala Mohammed and Minister Tuggar following Governor Mohammed’s fierce criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s policies, particularly, the tax reforms which he said would make the North poorer. Tuggar had argued that the tax bills were objective and would not put any part of the country at a disadvantage. The duo aggressively attacked each other in a media cold war.
Also, in March this year, the minister boycotted Udubu, his home community, where the federal government launched the Irrigate Nigeria initiative implemented under the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, ostensibly to avoid meeting Governor Mohammed who was the chief host of the event. He was billed to represent President Bola Tinubu at the event.
