The Bauchi State Government has dismissed Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar’s criticism of Governor Bala Mohammed, describing it as a desperate attempt to stay politically relevant.

 

This follows Tuggar recent remarks against Governor Bala Mohammed’s stance on the Federal Government’s tax reform policy.

 

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Aminu Gamawa, dismissed Tuggar’s comments as opportunistic and desperate, accusing the minister of being out of touch with the realities of governance.

 

“Tuggar’s attack on Bala Mohammed is nothing more than an attempt to remain politically relevant by targeting the Governor, whose agricultural policies have transformed Bauchi State into a hub of economic activity,” Gamawa stated.

 

The statement highlighted the governor’s achievements in agriculture, citing initiatives such as the Kaura Economic Empowerment Programme, which has created thousands of jobs in fish farming, animal husbandry, and cash crop production.

 

“Tuggar, a man from Bauchi State, remains blissfully ignorant of these realities. If he had spent more time in his home state instead of gallivanting across foreign capitals, he would have seen firsthand the transformation Bala Mohammed has brought to Bauchi,” the statement added.

 

The Bauchi government also took a swipe at Tuggar’s tenure as Foreign Affairs Minister, alleging that his poor leadership had diminished Nigeria’s diplomatic influence.

 

“Under Tuggar’s mismanagement, ECOWAS, a once-united and robust sub-regional body, is now in disarray. His poor advice to President Tinubu on the crises in the Sahel has led to the withdrawal of key member states like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger,” the statement read.

 

The government further accused Tuggar of aligning Nigeria with French neocolonial interests at the expense of its traditional Afrocentric foreign policy, calling it “a betrayal of Nigeria’s diplomatic heritage.”

 

The statement suggested that Tuggar’s attacks on Governor Mohammed were politically motivated, hinting at his alleged ambitions to contest for Bauchi’s governorship in 2027.

 

“Tuggar’s attacks on Bala Mohammed are clearly motivated by his ambition to contest the Bauchi governorship in 2027. However, his strategy of maligning the Governor will backfire. The people of Bauchi have witnessed Bala Mohammed’s transformative leadership and will not be swayed by the baseless rhetoric of an absentee politician,” the statement declared.

 

Concluding, Gamawa urged Tuggar to focus on his ministerial responsibilities rather than engaging in political distractions.