The likelihood that Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar would be Nigeria’s next minister of foreign affairs has excited many Nigerians as they took to Twitter to applaud President Bola Tinubu for nominating a radical diplomat whose cozy relationship with Nigerians abroad as the country’s ambassador to Germany has made him popular among many Nigerians.
Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar has been a Nigerian ambassador to Germany since 2017, and he is the most prominent diplomat on the 28-man list of ministerial nominees President Bola Ahmad Tinubu submitted to the Senate for confirmation as ministers which experts see as an indication the ambassador would be appointed as the country’s next minister of foreign affairs.
“I am really excited to learn Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar is nominated to be a minister by Tinubu. I met him several times during my work in Germany, and I am very sure this veteran diplomat is a perfect fit for the foreign ministry,” wrote Dan Auta.
There is no official statement as to the portfolios that would be assigned to the nominees, but if a lot of curious Nigerians were quick to speculate on their destined ministries taking a cue from their career or previous experience. One example is Prof. Ali Pate who is a Professor of Public Health Leadership and experienced physician who previously served as state minister of Health under Goodluck Jonathan from 2011 to 2013. His nomination makes him an easy fit for the Ministry of Health.
However, given his credentials as the graduate of International Relations and an ambassador to Germany for six years, many experts believe Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar would be posted to the ministry of foreign affairs. Besides, he English, French and German fluently.
But Mr. Elonga (@el-bonga) quips that Bauchi state keeps having two ministers at a time.
Yusuf Maitama Tuggar has been one of the key players who played prominent roles in Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 Presidential Elections.
The trend soon descended into confusion as Bashir Ahmad (@bashirahmaad), a former media aide to the former President Muhammad Buhari shared a misleading list in which Yusuf Maitama Tuggar was mistaken for Yusuf Maitama Tukur. The tweet generated a lot of controversy with many useers criticizing him for shared a misleading list.
In his hometown, Bauchi, many residents interviewed were excited to learn that Yusuf Maitama Tuggar was nominated to be a minister under President Bola Ahmad Tinubu.
“Yusuf Maitama Tuggar is a household name in Bauchi,” said Idris Malami, “he is still a prominent face in APC, and his loyalty to Buhari is what earned him a lot of respect in both rural and urban areas of Bauchi.” He added.