Nigeria’s women affairs minister Aisha Alhassan resigns

The Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, has resigned from the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Suleiman Dantosho, her media aide, confirmed this to newsmen on Saturday morning.

Dantosho said Alhassan has also withdrawn her membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The minister submitted a letter to the APC in Sarakin ward of Jalingo local government to formally notify the APC of her withdrawal.

“I write with a lot of respect to inform Mr. President of my decision to resign my appointment as minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and as a member of the All Progressives Congress,” Alhassan said.

Recall that the minister who had shown interest in contesting the 2019 governorship election in Taraba state was screened out of the race by the ruling party.

Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the APC, had told journalists that Alhassan was disqualified from contesting the Taraba governorship primary over anti-party activities.

Oshiomhole said the minister had not been completely loyal to the APC, and the party could not tolerate those who played such persons within its ranks.

He said after reviewing utterances from the minister and following her obvious relationship with one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirants, the APC national working committee had no option than to disqualify her.

Oshiomhole had said: “She had issues that have to do with party loyalty. Our constitution is clear and it dictates that to contest elections or even hold office in the APC, you must be loyal to the party in every material concern.

“From all she had said in the past and even her comments and general attitude during the screening, the NWC reviewed everything taken together and we arrived at the conclusion that she does not possess the level of loyalty the APC requires for her to contest elections on our platform.”

Alhassan had endorsed former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for the 2019 presidential election even before Buhari made public his reelection bid.

“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 had said in an interview with BBC.

“Let me tell you today that if Baba says 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.”