Speaking with State House Correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, the governor of Kaduna State, Nasri el-Rufai said Minster of Woman Affairs, Jummai Alhassan has never been a supporter of Buhari.
He said he was not surprised that the minister has openly endorsed former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
El-Rufai alleged that the minister voted against Buhari in the presidential primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said; “The minister of women affairs, Jummai Alhassan, was never in the Buhari camp. She did not support our candidates during the national convention, she didn’t vote for Buhari during the primary,” el-Rufai said.
“Out of the largeness of the president’s heart and to encourage women, he picked her as a minister.
“What she has tried to do in Taraba (Alhassan contested the 2015 governorship election on the platform of APC) earned her being nominated as a minister. Many in Buhari camp did not support it but he overrode us.
“Her comments are not surprising. She has never been a supporter of the president. She has never believed in Buhari’s ideology. So, I am not surprised.”
The governor maintained that she was entitled to her opinion and added that it was at the discretion of the president to either retain or replace her.
“As a Nigerian, she has every right to express her views and support whoever she wants,” he said.
“What I am saying is that Nigerians should not be surprised or shocked. This has always been her position because from time she has never supported Buharism or what Buhari stands for. Being part of Buhari government is a different thing, because government sets policies and if you are a minister you execute the policies. You can execute those policies while pursuing a different brand of politics.”
THE INTERVIEW THAT IS SPARKING A ROW IN THE APC
Aisha Jummai Al-Hassan, popularly known as Mama Taraba contested the governorship of Taraba State in the 2015 election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress and lost. She was then appointed the Minister of Women Affairs of Nigeria to the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari after his election. In this interview with the Hausa Service of the BBC she explains why she would support Atiku Abubakar in the 2019 presidential poll if he declares to run and insists that Buhari promised to run for one term. Excerpts:
BBC: Your Excellency, you said you hope former Vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, become the president of Nigeria in 2019, why did you make this statement?
Atiku is my godfather even before I join politics, and again Baba Buhari did not tell us that he is going to run in 2019. And let me tell you today that if Baba said 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.’ (That is) if Atiku said he is going to contest; as we are talking now Atiku has not said he is going to contest. Why I said our president in 2019 is because we all hope he is going to contest, but he never told us that he is going to contest. But if he said he is going to contest I will surely do what I told you I would do. Because if Atiku said he is going to contest and I remain in the cabinet of Baba while Baba also wants to contest, then I have become a hypocrite and I am not one. If I said I am not with Atiku, Buhari himself will not trust me at all because he will say I am a hypocrite.
Alhasan and her godfather, Ex- VP Atiku Abubakar
BBC: Is it not early to start campaigning?
Yes, I made this statement when we went for a courtesy call during Sallah festivities, I am not going to stand before him and campaign, besides this is not the time for campaign. Even when my people asked me to come out and start campaigning, I told them this is not the time for that. This is the time to work for the people. This is the work of my political enemies, they have been going round saying I should be sacked as minister. I never hoped to be a minister, Allah gave it to me If I get sacked, it will not bother me because I believe in Allah, that my time has elapsed; because I believe only Allah do and undo. And you think Baba is a mad man like those calling for my sack? They have been sending it and spreading that if Baba sees this I will be sacked. He will not sack me from being a minister because of this, only if I commit another offence. I am doing my job as a minister with all my heart and I always protect this government because it is a government of APC. And Baba our President, the President of Nigeria and somebody that I respect even before I joined politics. I will continue to respect him as a man of integrity. For those who are saying I will be sacked, they will be shamed. And even if I am sacked, I believe it is my time as minister that has ended. I never asked for it, Allah gave it to me.
