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2019: What Alhassan says about Buhari deciding to sack her for visiting Atiku

Published

9 years ago

September 7, 2017

Minister for Women Affairs Aisha Alhassan has described as mischievous those criticizing her Sallah visit to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Yola.

Social media warriors have rattled the minister for visiting Atiku, and offering support for his 2019 presidential ambition.

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

But, Alhassan, in a telephone interview with NAN, said that her Sallah homage to Abubakar did not amount to disloyalty to Buhari.

According to her, Atiku has always been her political mentor, and he is a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC),.

He said that her loyalty to Buhari and his administration, which she serves as a minister, was “unshakable”.

Alhassan has been freely quited as saying that she would not support Buhari if he contested in 2019.

That was coming about the time Atiku also told the BBC Hausa Service the Buhari government has sidelined him after spending his money, and using his influence to get the ex-general to power in 2015.

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The minister, however, claimed her “political detractors” are “amplifying and misinterpreting” the visit so as to smear her image because they were afraid of her growing political strength in Taraba.

“In a nation where politicians are quick to dump the people that assisted them to get to where they are, for political expediency, I have chosen to maintain a long standing family relationship with Abubakar, as well as Buhari, who I consider as a father.”

“Besides, neither Buhari nor Abubakar has officially told anyone of an interest in seeking election in 2019,” she said.

Declaring that power comes from God, she said that if she loses her job because of her visit, she would consider it as the will of God.