Zamfara lawmaker engages driver in fight over girlfriend

It was a show of shame when the Majority Leader in the Zamfara State House of Assembly, Hon. Salisu Musa Tsafe, threw caution to the winds and publicly engaged a senior driver to the state governor identified as Malam Idris, in a physical combat over a female shop owner in the state capital, Gusau.

According to those who witness the sordid fight, the lawmaker was pissed when he met the driver with the lady in her shop, a situation which led to the altercation.

But Hon. Tsafe has tried to douse the cause of the fight by saying it was the driver who was the aggressor, saying he does not have anything romantic to do with the woman in question.

He explained that though he has no affair with the woman apart from an existing business relationship. He also claims that the driver’s claims that he was sleeping with the lady were false as he had never met her parents to legitimise their relationship.

Hear Hon. Tsafe:

"I had called on Sunday from Kaduna to inform her of my trip to Gusau the next day, and she pleaded that we should meet, especially to discuss about the money she owes me.

When I got to her shop in Tudun Wada, Gusau, I met her with the governor’s driver in his car and sensing the atmosphere, he drove away only to return later.

On his return a few minutes later, the driver started pouring insults on me over what he described as my illegitimate engagement with his presumed wife.

I replied him by saying that she was not my girlfriend and we had no affair but were only business partners."

The lawmaker further said he tried to move away from the area so as to avoid any confrontation with the driver but the assailant came after him and continued to pour insults on him.

To further aggravate him, the driver went further to challenge him to a fight in the bush to which he angrily agreed and drove after him.

He continued:

"He parked as he reached the Low Cost Housing Estate, came out of his car and started shouting at me. I did same to him and he began to fiercely charge at me, so I had to fight back in self-defence. He bit my finger and I gave him a hard punch on his forehead."

The lawmaker said the Assistant Commissioner of Police in-charge of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the state headquarters intervened for mediation, warning the driver that since he had not paid any bride price on the girl, he had no right to stop her association with other people.