Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan never believed in President Muhammadu Buhari, Kaduna state Governor Nasir El-Rufai has said.
Speaking with State House correspondents after visiting the President on Friday, El-Rufai said many APC chieftains would not be surprised by her recent comment since she did not vote for Buhari during the APC primaries in Lagos.
Prompt News recalls that the Minister, Aisha Alhassan, popularly known as ‘Mama Taraba’ in a recent interview she granted the BBC Hausa Service, said she would dump President Buhari should former Vice President Atiku Abubakar decides to run for presidency in 2019.
The comment has been trending but Kaduna Governor said they were not surprised, adding that President Buhari only appointed her a Minister so as to encourage women who are active in politics.
“The Minister of Women Affairs Jummai Alhassan has been in the Students Union. In the APC she was never in the Buhari camp, she did not support our candidates during the National Convention, she didn’t vote for Buhari during the Primaries.
“Even though she was never a supporter of his politics or what he believes in, his ideology. He still believed that to encourage women in politics , what she has tried to do in Taraba earned her being nominated as a Minister.
“Many in Buhari camp did not support it but he overrode everybody, he tries to consider every Nigerian his own son or daughter and he nominated her.
“Her comments are not surprising, she has never been a supporter, she has never believed in Buhari ideology. So, I am not surprised as a Nigerian, as an individual she has every right to express her views and support whoever she wants.
“What I am saying is Nigerians should not be surprised or shocked. This has always been her position because from time she has never supported Buharism or what Buhari stands for.
“Being part of Buhari government is a different thing because government sets policies and if you are a minister you execute the policies. You can execute those policies while pursuing a different brand of politics,” Governor El-Rufai posited.
Asked if he feels the President should retain her in the Cabinet, El-Rufai said, “It is the President’s prerogative. Look, you can retain a person in the cabinet even if he doesn’t support you if he adds value to the country. Because this is a government, it is not a political group fighting for some political progress.
“If Jummai Alhassan is coming as Minister of Women Afairs and adding value to the government and the people of Nigeria is the President’s prerogative to retain her in spite of her political views. But if she is not adding value in spite of her political views she can be dispensed with, people shouldn’t get worried about it.”
