A political clash between Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, intensified on Friday during Vice President Kashim Shettima’s visit to the state, resulting in a reported altercation between Deputy Governor Mohammed Auwal Jatau and Tuggar.
The incident occurred inside a coaster bus transporting dignitaries, including the Vice President, from the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport to the Emir’s Palace for the turbaning ceremony of former Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar as the Makama Babba I of the Bauchi Emirate.
Reports state that Tuggar’s reported derogatory comments about Governor Bala’s government sparked the altercation. Witnesses claimed that Jatau, who was clearly upset by the comments, confronted the minister and smacked Tuggar. The confrontation demonstrates the two men’s fierce political rivalry, even if the deputy governor later refuted these allegations.
With both men putting themselves forward as major candidates for the 2027 Bauchi governorship election, the conflict between Jatau and Tuggar is perceived as a component of a broader struggle for power. Jatau, who is frequently regarded as Governor Bala’s devoted buddy, allegedly intervened to support the governor’s government. However, Tuggar has continuously attacked the PDP-led administration in Bauchi and is seen to be putting himself in a position to win the APC governorship.
The interaction, which took place in front of a number of well-known dignitaries, has sparked worries about how such conduct could affect Bauchi’s political climate. Comrade Sabo Muhammad and other political observers have denounced the altercation, cautioning that it may exacerbate tensions among followers and cause political instability.
Muhammad told the previously mentioned site, “This type of behavior sends the wrong message.” “There may be harmful repercussions if political leaders incite their supporters to use violence.”
Tuggar and Governor Bala have been at odds since the minister openly attacked the governor earlier this year for allegedly using President Tinubu’s tax reforms to further his own 2027 presidential aspirations. Suspicions that Tuggar’s critiques were politically driven and intended to weaken the governor ahead of the next election.
Within Bauchi’s elite political circles, this continuing struggle is not the first to arise. The state has had high-profile feuds in recent years, like as the long-running dispute between Governor Bala and Senator Shehu Buba Umar and the one between former Governor Abubakar and former Speaker Yakubu Dogara.
Given that both men are vying for the governorship in 2027, the most recent conflict between Jatau and Tuggar is perceived as a continuation of these more profound differences. The Bauchi North Senatorial District, where Jatau and Tuggar are both from, has not produced a governor since democracy was restored in 1999. The state’s political future is made more complex by their competition, which is heightened by their disparate party memberships and shared regional base.
Alhaji Uba Nana, the Director-General of the Tuggar Foundation, was not available for comment. Muslim Lawal, the spokeswoman for the deputy governor, refuted the claims of the altercation, claiming that the incident had been exaggerated and that the accusations were “baseless.”
“Nothing like that happened as far as my principal and the Bauchi State Government are concerned,” Lawal stated. He underlined that since the incident allegedly happened inside a bus with multiple high-ranking government officials, including the vice president, it could not be confirmed. Jatau is “a peace-loving and respectable politician,” he added, and would never act in such a way.