The Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, has been summoned to the Presidential Villa.
The Minister who was sighted around 2:24pm yesterday, leaving the Presidential Villa was cornered by State House Correspondents to respond to media reports credited to her that she will support former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, if he decides to run for office in 2019.
The minister was seen leaving the Office of the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, who was said not to be on seat at the time she came calling.
She was neither seen by President Muhammadu Buhari nor Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the time of her visit.
PHSPECTATOR recalls that in a video which went viral on Wednesday, the minister said to be declaring support for the former vice-president.
The minister was also quoted as saying that she will resign from Buhari’s cabinet if the decides to run for 2019.
Her comments sparked wild condemnation, particularly among supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC)m in the country.
When asked by reporters to shed more light on her remarks, the minister referred newsmen to the interview she granted the BBC Hausa service saying her position has not changed.
She said, “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.”
On her relationship with Buhari now, she replied “How will I know. I have not seen the President but I don’t think the president is a naive person.”
On whether she is confident that she can retain her job, she replied, “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.
On Buhari supporters attacking her on social media, saying she’s not loyal, Alhassan said. “Let the will of God be.”
The Minister had in an interview with the BBC Hausa stated that Atiku Abubakar is her godfather, adding that she does not mind losing her job for supporting the former vice president.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
