By Baron Ike
One of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministers, Aisha Alhassan may soon run into trouble with the powers that be in the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) going by what appears to be a subtle endorsement of the presidency of former vice president Atiku Abubakar for 2019.
On Wednesday, September 6m a video of Aisha, minister of women affairs, endorsing former Atiku for the 2019 presidency, trended on social media.
Alhassan is one of the six female ministers in the government of Buhari.
As expected, Nigerians hit social media to express their feelings about the decision of a minister to throw her weight behind a man who jostled for the ticket of the All APC with the incumbent president.
Atiku was one of the five aspirants who sought the ticket of the then opposition party in the build-up to the 2015 election.
He is believed to have fallen out of favour with many APC chieftains who do not want him to run again as doing so will blur their own chances.
A chieftain of APC told Armadanews.com that the “joke was too costly” from the minister.
Aisha Alhassan, minister of women affairs, says she will support Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, if he decides to run for office in 2019.
In a video which went viral on Wednesday, the minister declared support for the former vice-president.
Her action sparked condemnation, particularly among supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In an interview with the BBC Hausa, Alhassan described Atiku as her godfather, saying she does not mind losing her job for supporting the former number two citizen.
“Atiku is my godfather even before I joined politics. 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 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… 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.”