Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has firmly denied reports suggesting he was involved in a physical or verbal altercation with Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Auwal Jatau. Tuggar clarified that the incident in question was not with Jatau, but rather with the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, who allegedly verbally assaulted and threatened him during Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent visit to the state.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, Tuggar provided detailed insight into the incident, which he said occurred while he was in a vehicle with Vice President Shettima and Governor Mohammed.
“We were in the same vehicle with the Vice President when he asked me a question. Governor Bala Mohammed, who was sitting nearby, interrupted the conversation and began speaking, even though it was not directed at him,” Tuggar explained.
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According to the minister, the situation escalated rapidly.
“He began to insult my late father, who passed away over 20 years ago, and then stood up and said he would slap me,” Tuggar stated. “I also stood up to tell him that if we were alone, I didn’t believe he could do anything to me, let alone slap me.”
Tuggar further alleged that the deputy governor attempted to intervene but never approached him directly.
“The Deputy Governor came running toward the vehicle claiming he too would slap me, but he never got close. Let’s not forget, the Vice President was there, along with federal security personnel — not Bauchi security,” he said.
The minister accused aides and associates of Governor Mohammed of spreading misinformation online, falsely claiming that Deputy Governor Jatau had slapped him.
“That narrative is entirely false. The Deputy Governor, Auwal Jatau, knows nothing like that happened. Later, they backtracked and said I wasn’t slapped at all — which is the truth,” Tuggar affirmed.
Recall that in April, media reports circulated alleging that Auwal Jatau had slapped Tuggar during a confrontation at the turbaning ceremony of former Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, who was conferred with the title of Makama Babba I of the Bauchi Emirate. The reports caused significant public discourse and confusion over the facts.
Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar has set the record straight regarding the controversial incident in Bauchi, emphasizing that there was no confrontation with Deputy Governor Jatau. Instead, he has directly accused Governor Bala Mohammed of initiating a verbal attack and making physical threats in the presence of Nigeria’s Vice President. The minister’s clarification comes amid growing concerns about political decorum and misinformation in Nigeria’s public discourse.
