President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement of intention to contest the 2019 presidential election has various implications — both good and bad, for various people. One of the individuals who will see it as awful news is Aisha Alhassan, Minister of Women Affairs, commonly known as ‘Mama Taraba’.
Aisha Alhassan sparked off a round of 2019 election conversations when she swore “by Allah” to BBC Hausa that if Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, concludes to contest the election, she would support him over President Muhammadu Buhari.
In September 2017, ‘Mama Taraba’ swore “to Allah” to resign as a minister in the event that Buhari decides to seek re-election since she had evidently expressed her allegiance to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and his perennial presidential ambition.
“Atiku has been my godfather even before I joined politics. And again, Baba Buhari did not tell us that he is going to run in 2019,” Aisha explained to BBC Hausa radio.
“Let me tell you today that if Baba says he is going to contest in 2019, I swear to Allah, I will go before him and kneel and tell him that ‘Baba I am grateful for the opportunity you gave me to serve your government as a Minister but Baba just like you know I will support only Atiku because he is my godfather… if Atiku says he is going to contest.”
“If because of what I said, I am sacked, it will not bother me because I believe in Allah, that my time has elapsed; that is why,” she said.
“Baba is not a madman like those calling for my sack. They have been sending it and spreading that if Baba sees this I will be sacked.”
Now that President Buhari has publicly confirmed intention to seek re-election, it remains unclear if Alhassan will abide by her words and resign from the cabinet or if will make a u-turn.
