Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar accuses Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed of threats and insults during VP Shettima’s visit. Read the full story.
In what appears to be a deepening political rift within Bauchi State’s elite circle, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has publicly accused Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, of launching a verbal attack on him and disrespecting the memory of his late father.
Tuggar, who made the explosive revelation in an interview with BBC Hausa, disclosed that his relationship with Governor Mohammed has been anything but cordial, citing a recent confrontation as evidence of ongoing hostilities between them.
According to the Minister, the incident occurred on April 19, 2025, when he accompanied Vice President Kashim Shettima on an official visit to Bauchi State. The dignitaries were aboard a bus, moving from the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport to the Emir of Bauchi’s palace, when tensions flared.
Tuggar recounted that as he engaged the Vice President in a conversation, Governor Bala Mohammed rudely interrupted and launched verbal attacks against him.
“He insulted my late father who died over 20 years ago,” Tuggar said. “He also threatened to slap me.”
The Foreign Affairs Minister, shocked but unshaken, stood his ground and confronted the governor, making it clear that such threats were unacceptable. However, the situation escalated further when Deputy Governor Muhammad Auwal Jatau allegedly charged from the back of the bus and threatened to also slap the Minister.
“He couldn’t even get close to me because the Vice President was seated in that bus,” Tuggar noted.
Though Deputy Governor Jatau has since denied physically assaulting the Minister, Tuggar insists the entire episode was orchestrated by Bala Mohammed as part of a pattern of intimidation against dissenting voices in the state.
Political Undertones: Governorship 2027?
Tuggar, a well-known critic of Governor Mohammed’s administration, is believed to be nursing a governorship ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections. While he did not confirm the rumour outright, Tuggar made it clear that he would never shy away from speaking the truth.
“Everyone knows how farmers and herders in Bauchi are being robbed of their lands and grazing areas, only for these lands to be handed over to companies who come under the guise of investing in agriculture,” he lamented.
The Minister questioned the effectiveness of these land deals, asking why Bauchi has not become a national leader in grain or cattle production if such investments were truly beneficial.
According to him, the growing displacement of indigenous farmers and herders is fueling rural poverty and could even contribute to insecurity and terrorism.
Tuggar Warns Against Misrule
Tuggar warned that state governments must take responsibility and ensure that policies genuinely benefit their people rather than a few elites hiding behind corporate interests.
“This is why I speak out. Because I believe that if truth is not told now, the people will suffer even more in the future,” he concluded.
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