Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has denied report that
Bauchi State Deputy governor, Muhammad Auwal Jatau slapped him.
On April 19, the trio were on the same bus with Vice President Kashim Shettima who they were accompanying to the turbaning ceremony of former Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, which took place at the Bauchi Emir’s Palace.
Moment later the governor’s son, Shamsuddeen, took to his X account to hail the Deputy Governor for allegedly slapping the Minister.
The report however drew denial from the deputy governor.
Now in an interview with BBC Hausa, the Minister said Governor Bala, and his Deputy only threatened to slap him and had no chance of carrying out the threat because of the security officers on the bus were from Abuja.
According to him, “We were traveling in a vehicle accompanying the Vice President on a visit to Bauchi State. The Vice President spoke to me, and the Governor, who was sitting beside him, interjected in a conversation that didn’t concern him.
“After that, he insulted my late father—my father who has been dead for over twenty years—and then went further to threaten to slap me. But I saw that if left alone there is no way he can have advantage over me, so I stood up to show him my height.
“After that, his deputy came rushing from the back of the bus, saying he too would slap me, but he couldn’t even get close to me, especially since the Vice President was in the same vehicle.”
He stated that the security personnel present were not from Bauchi but had been brought in from Abuja.
Tuggar further said, “There was no physical contact between the Governor and 1—he merely said he would slap me, but when he realized he couldn’t actually reach me, the matter ended there. However, the Governor’s son, who is trying to meddle in politics, went online spreading the story that Deputy Governor Auwal Jatau slapped me.
“The Deputy Governor himself later admitted the story wasn’t true and began spreading a different version that he didn’t slap me.”
The minister and Governor Bala have not been on good terms for a while.
