The Member of Parliament for Yagaba/Kubori, Ibrahim Abdul-Rauf Tanko, who dealt his colleague, Sampson Ahi, MP for Juabeso a thudding slap in the Chamber of Parliament on Thursday, has called the incident an unfortunate one.

In his first public comment on the incident, roundly condemned by the public and parliamentarians who were forced to witness the nasty altercation shortly before the day’s business, Tanko regretted his instantaneous loss of self-restraint when he spoke via phone on Joy FM's current affairs programmed, Newsfile.

“What happened, actually it happened inside parliament… Like I said I don’t want to go into details. I told you that it’s a human reaction and definitely there must be a cause to every human reaction. I will not just go and see Hon. Ahi and start causing some problems with him or having a problem with honourable Ahi.”

Ibrahim Abdul-Rauf Tanko said he had met his victim several times since the incident, and he has personally visited Ahi’s house except that he did not meet him, otherwise they remain ‘friends.’

“We sit together in Parliament, he sits by me.”

“This is the first time I have trouble with him, this is actually the first time and I must say that it is just an unfortunate incident actually, it’s an unfortunate incident.”

Ibrahim Tanko was said to have slapped his colleague on Thursday for blocking his path, and his action readily elicited the condemnation of his colleague MPs.

There are talks he faces disciplinary action in the House, while his party, the National Democratic Congress said it would investigate the matter and if it deemed fit to sanction him, they would enforce recommendations.