Beatrice Gondyi, Bauchi
Rumours swirled in Bauchi State yesterday that Deputy Governor Auwal Jatau allegedly slapped the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, during a heated exchange at an event attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The incident was said to have occurred during the turbaning of former Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar as Makama Babba I of Bauchi Emirate, as well as the wedding of his daughter, Khadija Mohammed. Eyewitnesses claimed the altercation ensued after the minister reportedly made disparaging remarks about the administration of Governor Bala Mohammed, which the deputy governor allegedly found offensive.
However, the Deputy Governor’s media aide, Muslim Lawal, in telephone interview with Spear News, dismissed the reports as false.
“I am not aware about 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” Lawal stated.
“How can a deputy governor slap a minister? I don’t think that happened ever in Bauchi because I know my principal and he is a responsible person and he is the number two citizen. We are not even aware about that. I am just hearing it from you”.
Meanwhile, the Son of Governor Mohammed, Shamsudeen Bala Mohammed has apparently been celebrating the unfortunate incident on his social media handle, hailing Jatau as a hero. He re posted what other social media users posted celebrating the slap, with comments such as “first deputy governor to slap a minister”
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