Ebun Francis || Not satisfied with her private pledge to support Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2019 Presidential election in a leaked video, Aisha Abubakar, The Minister of Women Affairs, has gone public with her support for former vice president, Atiku Abubakar who she said is her political god father.
The move will surely not go down well with the powers that be at Aso rock villa.
Mrs. Alhassan, in an interview with BBC Hausa, added that even if President Muhammadu Buhari decides to contest in 2019, she would still support Mr. Abubakar.
“Atiku is my godfather even before I joined politics,” she said in Hausa. “And again, Baba Buhari did not tell us that he is going to run in 2019.”
“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. If Atiku said he is going to contest.”
Mrs. Alhassan, popularly called Mama Taraba, added that she is not scared of being relieved of her job as minister.
“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…”
“Baba is not 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.”
Even though President Buhari has not declared his intention run for a second, the fact that one of his cabinet members is coming out openly to dare his candidature is an indication that all is not well within the ruling All Peoples Congres Party.