Gov Yahaya Bello Battles APC National Women Leader Over Aisha Buhari’s Interest

Fresh crisis may be looming in the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Governor of Kogi State; His Excellency Yahaya Bello, has confirmed that President Buhari’s wife is interested in having her choice candidate take over the office of the party’s National Women Leader. Bello claimed that Mr President’s wife has mandated him to stop the APC National Women Leader, Dr Ramatu Tijjani from being re-elected for a second term. 

In a meeting that was called by some of the party’s governors to hear the reason the governor was fighting against Dr Ramatu Tijjani  who is said to be loved by party women and members across the country and who want her to continue in office on the account of her performance and unalloyed support for the President, the governor who was said to be visibly angry at the suggestion by some of his colleagues to allow her to recontest, insisted that Mrs Aisha Buhari was interested in having her anointed candidate Hajia Salamatu Umar-Eluma occupy the office. Salamatu is the woman that the Nigerian media reported that Mrs Aisha Buhari insisted the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika made the MD of FAAN after a scandalous deal her.

In what looks like a declaration of war against the APC National Women Leader, the Governor Yahaya Bello had told the governors in a meeting in Ondo Lodge in Abuja Wednesday night that he was acting on the instruction of Mrs Aisha Buhari to stop Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu from contesting for the office in the coming National Party Convention.

According to the information from a reliable source at the meeting held recently, Governor Yahaya Bello told his colleagues  that the First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari had told him to support and sponsor the said Salamatu. At the meeting were; Governor Bagudu of Kebbi, Ajimobi of Oyo, Bako Lalong of Plateau, Dr Chris Ngige, Dr Kayode Fayemi and other stakeholders. When they asked Governor Yahaya Bello of the cruel plan to replace their party National Women Leader who is fondly referred to as PMB’s daughter, Governor explained that the First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari had told him to support and sponsor Salamatu, who is currently a staff of Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) against Dr Ramatu Tijjani  and that was what he was going to do.

Our source revealed that when the governors and the minister insisted on knowing the reason Mrs Aisha Buhari was supporting the unknown Salamatu, against Dr Ramatu Tijjani, who has laboured for the party since inception and had been a supporter of President Buhari even from his days in the ANPP, Yahaya Bello told them that he had no reason other than the fact that the First Lady does not want her to remain the party’s women leader.

Yahaya Bello went further to say Mrs Aisha Buhari’s mind was made up and every plan concluded already and that there was nothing anybody can do about it.

In his own words “I don’t have any problem with her. It is madam that said she must be removed”. Waxing bold, Yahaya Bello said to the select party leaders “I can do anything because of The First Lady”. His statement prompted the governors and others to end the discussion as they all dashed out of the Ondo Lodge.

Hajia Salamatu Umar-Eluma

Some party faithfuls were heard discussing the unfortunate statement by the governor with some of them cursing the governor for trying to intimidate the party’s national women leader for no reason.

It has been rumoured that Mrs Aisha Buhari is insistent on having Dr Ramatu Tijani replaced because the said Salamatu who works with the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) needs to be compensated for giving the First Lady some financial support.

The last is yet to be heard on the crisis rocking the party as Yahaya Bello’s confrontation with Dr Ramatu Tijjani has opened another window of brouhaha in the already beleaguered party. With the said declaration by Governor Yahaya Bello, the stage is set for a bloody fight in the party’s women wing” in the coming party convention.