Buhari Cannot Be Pressurised To Sack Me, Says Aisha Alhassan

MICHAEL AKINOLA

Hajia Aisha Alhassan, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, has expressed hope that President Muhammadu Buhari cannot be pressured to sack her from his cabinet on account of her statement not to support his 2019 re-election ambition.

Alhassan stated this during a chat with State House correspondents at the presidential villa Abuja on Thursday.

According to the woman fondly called ‘Mama Taraba’, she believes the president was not that naive to succumb to pressure but also admitted that she does not know the president’s current disposition towards her over her statement since she was yet to meet with him.

Alhassan, who was approached by the pressmen as she emerged from the office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, said she was however ready for any consequences arising from the position she had taken.

It’s not clear whether she was summoned to the villa over her support for the 2019 presidential ambition of her self-confessed godfather and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, which she made public on Wednesday.

Alhassan has been criticized for visiting Atiku and offering support for his 2019 presidential ambition.

They have also alleged that this signified disloyalty to President Muhammadu Buhari, her principal whose loyalists have maintained will bid for another term in 2019.

 

A transcript of her interaction with the state house correspondents:

 

What can you say more about your decision not to support Buhari in 2019?

No, I have no comment. What will I say now, I have said all in BBC Hausa. Get someone who speaks Hausa very well to translate it for you.

What is your relationship with Buhari now? 

How will I know? I have not seen the President but I don’t think the president is a naive person.

Are you confident that you can retain your job?

God gives and God takes. That is all and I have said it all in Hausa. You know that there is an end to everything.

Buhari supporters are attacking you on the social media accusing you of disloyalty. How will you react to that?

Let the will of God be.

 

 

Similarly, Alhassan had in an interview with BBC Hausa Service maintained that Atiku is her godfather and if the former Vice President is going to contest the 2019 presidential election, she will support him rather than President Buhari.

In the interview translated by an online medium, she also swore to resign her appointment if Buhari decides to re-contest having allegedly told his party that he will do only one term.

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 joined 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 will 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.

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.

Are you not afraid you will be sacked?

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 can 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 is 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.