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Tag: Aisha Jummai Alhassan

  • Beware of el-Rufai’s antics, APC chieftain warns Buhari

    Beware of el-Rufai’s antics, APC chieftain warns Buhari

    A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Timi Frank has warned President Muhammadu Buhari to beware of the antics of the likes of Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai whom he said has a record of betraying all his benefactors.

    In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, Frank said the President must be careful in dealing with the governor, pointing out that his claim of being a member of the “Buharist’s group” amount to deservice to some other Nigerians who truly love the President.

    Frank who was reacting to a statement credited to the governor over comments attributed to the Women Affairs Minister Aisha Jummai Alhassan, declared that what the Minister said was out of conscience, honesty and not disrespect for President Buhari, saying the woman did not mean any arm. 

    He said President Buhari is a man of the people and knows the people who are truly his own and when people are talking of loyalty, El-rufai should keep quite because he is not known to be one. A serial betrayal like this governor has no record of loyalty to anybody.

    He dismissed the claim by the governor that his group was asking President Buhari to seek re-election in 2019, pointing out that the governor does not have any electoral value and credibility to force the President to contest the 2019 elections, adding that “Buhari is in best position to take such decision by himself.” 

    He said the antics of the governor was aimed at blackmailing the President into endorsing him for a second term bid or endorse him to run for the President if the President refuse to seek re-election.

    Frank who is also the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC reminded the Presidency that “when Nigerians were busy praying for safe return of Mr. President from his medical leave to London some months back, it was alleged that the likes of El-rufai were busy scheming on how to become the Vice President.

    “El-rufai is known for singing sycophantic praises whenever he is in government. He did it to former President Olusegun Obasenjo and later abandoned him. He did it to Atiku, who brought him to the limelight, and letter became his enemy. He has even repeated this same act against President Muhammad Buhari, who El-rufai said that he would never become President. The record is there for everybody to see. He will do it again once Buhari leaves government. 

    “May be, El-rufai was expecting Mama Taraba to become selfish, self-centered, arrogant and turn Judas like him, and turn her back against Atiku Abubakar who will always stand by her again and again politically,” he said. 

    On the statement credited to the former Vice President which is generating reactions, Frank urged the President to look at the comments and the good intention aimed at adding value to his government and not otherwise. 

    Frank also recalled that the same El-rufai had late last year wrote a lengthy lamentation letter to the President which was later made public.

  • Freedom of speech: APC cautions Atiku

    Freedom of speech: APC cautions Atiku

    The North West Zonal Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Inuwa Abdulkadir has caution members of the party to be careful of their public utterances And not hide under the guise of freedom of speech to undermine the party or bring the party and the leadership to disrepute. 

    Abdulkadir who was reacting to the statement credited to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that he has been sidelined by both the President and the party describe the statement as an “unguided statement” which should not be coming from a statement of his repute.

    Abdulkadir who spoke with selected newsmen at the APC national secretariat on Friday also said that the Minister of Women Affairs was practically blackmailing the President with her statement which has attracted public comments in recent times, pointing out that while she was entitled to her own opinion, she was morally bound to either keep quiet or resign from the government, rather than creating the impression that things were not working well within the government.

    He said the former Vice President gave the impression of failure on the side of both the party and the government formed by the party, pointing out that as a statesman who contributed to building the party, statements of fact were expected from him.

    He said: “Atiku Abubakar is a very important member of this party. He is one of the leaders of this party and I have no doubt about his contribution to building this party. He has also added value by his personality during the last election 

    “People of such statue and reckoning in this country, particularly being a former Vice President, of this great nation, he has attained the position of a statesman and what we expect from him is nothing less than that. By virtue of former his office and his age, he is qualified to be a statesman. 

    “But when you reach that statue and age there are certain things you have to come to terms with, most important of which is to exhibit a high sense of decorum in your conduct. What I mean is that you have to guard what you say, how you say it and when you say it because what is expected of you as a statesman is nothing but factual.

    “Secondly, the majority of the people look up to you to provide leadership in the sense that from what you say people can learn a lot.

    “Of recent Atiku has made some statements to the effect that or create an impression of the failure of the party and the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government. At that level, good party members, especially of his status should not be seen to be making such public statements even if those criticisms are factual, whereas in this case some of these statements were misleading and incorrect.

    “These statements give an impression as if there is a crack in the house and in the party or that the party is not doing all that which it ought to. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have  been here to responded to certain statements because as leaders, we shouldn’t be seen as joining issues in the public domain. But since he has made a public statement, the public is entitled to get the other side or be told the truth.

    “Yes, Atiku like many others made certain contributions in the 2015 elections and in building the party. But the bigger picture which he gave is not correct. I know that in the north west zone which I represent, we had eight presidential campaign rallies and Atiku did not attend any.

    “Yes, he added value by his personality, but there are so many other members of the party, who made financial contribution and added electoral value. North West is the most populous zone in terms of the APC membership and in terms of electoral victory, not only to the president, but we have seven state governors and 20 out of the 21 senators in the zone are from the APC.

    “I think we are critical and  major stakeholders in this party. So one of the reasons why I am making this statement is to calm our members in these states and not to be distracted and that APC is well on ground as all efforts are being made to solidify those gains and we shouldn’t be distanced by such unfortunate statements which are suggesting that the party is neglecting a particular person or group persons.  

    “Some of these things are processes and you don’t expect everything to happen at the sametime. More importantly, there should some decorum in what we do. People who have attained those high privileged positions should know that they have attained certain status in the society and so, they cannot afford to talk any how.

    “On the issue of consultation by the Mr. President, though I don’t work in the Villa, it is an open secret that whoever visited the president is no longer a secret. Whoever is meeting the president of Nigeria more than 20 people will know and the information will be shared. 

    “As a matter of fact, several times, Atiku Abubakar has visited Mr. President and what they discussed, we don’t know but we know that he has visited. I am sure he is not just there to greet him. Those two leaders will meet without discussing one thing or the other.

    “On party meetings, I know that immediately after convention where Buhari was nominated as the party flag bearer, there were a number of leadership meetings which he participated. Also, there were formal party meetings, some of which were held in the Villa and he was present. 

    “There were some meetings here at the National secretariat including two NEC meetings which he attended and other functions of the party. So the claim that the party only met once is not correct.

    “On his criticism of the President in the area of security and the fight against corruption, I want to say that if you critically listen to what he said, you will discover that it is not correct because we know where we were in 2015 and where we are now especially in terms of security and what the situation is now.

    “This is just a sign of caution. As a party, we caution our members from making unguarded statements that are capable of ridiculing the leadership of the party and the leadership of the government formed by this party. I think that we as a party, we will not relent in our effort in installing discipline and ensuring decorum among our members. 

    “We should always remember that this party is an institution and it is not a personal enterprise belong to one person, a group of persons or a class of people. It has its own rules and regulations. People should not hide under the freedom of speech to undermine the party or bring the party and the leadership to disrepute. We all appreciate the efforts of members of this party in producing the president. 

    “So, the party has a duty to ensure that party members e committed to the party and its principles. APC respects the right of all its members and the citizens from this country to make constructive criticism and we embrace such. 

    “At the same time, we have a responsibility to ensure that those privileges, those rights being exercise by the members does not encroach into the reputation of the party or the party as an institution.”

    Speaking on the statement credited to the Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Jummai Alhassan, Abdulkadir said the action of the Minister could be interpreted to mean that she was either blackmailing the President or boxing him into a corner.

    He said while she was entitled to her opinion, she is morally bound to resign her appointment if she is not satisfied with events in the cabinet, pointing out that her statement were suggestive of things not working well within the cabinet.

    He said: “People have rights to express their opinions and express their views. But those rights are morally suspended if you found yourself in a situation where you find yourself as a member of the cabinet or as a member of the party. 

    “There are certain things that are expected from you because it sends wrong signals of your commitment to the party as well as the person you are serving. However, some of these things are within the discretion of the Principal of that Minister who is the President. 

    “The situation is that her statement is capable of creating an impression that even at the cabinet level, things are not well. As far as the party is concerned, everything is well in terms of the cabinet. But there is personal responsibility on that minister to do the right thing. 

    “As a leader and somebody who has accepted to serve in a government formed by the party, the right thing to do if you think otherwise is to honourably quit. What we have right now is a situation of blackmailing the President or boxing him which will not be accepted by the party. 

    “These two issues have come to the public domain and it is part of our responsibility as leaders of this party to ensure that the current things are known and to correct whatever wrong impression that would have been created.

    “You are making such suggestuon in respect of your principal in public, this is something that she can discuss with her principal to express to him so that he (President) will know her position. And if you feel like it should be public then you are saying that I’m no longer comfortable with this situation, if this situation should continue I’m not comfortable with it. 

    “Whether Buahri has said that he will recontest or not is immaterial, what is material as serving Minister should not be seen to be making public statement that suggest that they are not on the same page with the team because she is a more mber of a team. 

    “In order places the right thing is for her to resign, that she can no longer continue to be in this thing because my spirit ir my thought is not in conformity with this team, so we can no more work together. She is entitle to that. So, you can not you eat your cake and have it, that is the situation. 

    “As high as that office is people resign and leave on principle that if not that I’m a member of APC I would not have accepted to serve but I’m not convince still, so I think giving an opportunity to somebody else I will support him not you”.

  • 2015: Alhassan and the governorship challenge

    2015: Alhassan and the governorship challenge

    Can Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan make history as the first elected female governor in Nigeria in 2015? Assistant Editor, Remi Adelowo, in this report, writes on the chances of this female politician who has within a few years emerged as the stormy petrel of Taraba politics

    OF the 32 states where governorship elections would hold next year, all eyes are on Taraba where a female candidate, Aisha Jummai Alhassan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is.

    In less than six years of joining politics, Aisha Alhassan has, unarguably, taken her home state, Taraba, by storm.

    As the only female governorship candidate in the 2015 general elections, Alhassan, despite the heavy odds stacked against her, however fancies her chances to emerge as the first duly elected female governor in Nigeria.

    But defying seemingly insurmountable odds is not new to Alhassan. A woman of many firsts, the Senator representing Taraba North, is the first female Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Taraba State; first female Chief Registrar of the FCT High Court and first female Senator in Taraba State.

    Also the story of how she emerged as a senator in 2011 has continued to confound her critics and admirers alike. Like a bolt out of the blues, the relatively unknown Alhassan had taken the then serving senator, Anthony Manzo, to the cleaners at the primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and against all expectations, trounced a former governor of the state, Reverend Jolly Nyame of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the general elections.

    Though a Muslim, Alhassan’s ability to gain the support of the predominantly Christian population largely accounted for her victory, much to the consternation of her opponents, who allegedly banked on the religious factor to undo her at the polls.

    Her stint in the Senate has also not gone unnoticed. The Ahmadu Bello University-trained lawyer was in the news about two years ago by spearheading opposition against the nomination of Dr. Obadiah Ando as the Minister of Water Resources.

    Alhassan led her two other colleagues – Senators Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba South) and Abubakar Tutare (Taraba Central)  to kick against Ando, whose nomination was allegedly facilitated by former Defense Minister, Gen. Theophillus Danjuma (retd).

    The lawmakers from Taraba had cited the objection of their constituents to the confirmation of Ando’s nomination based on his alleged non-performance during his first stint as Minister of Water Resources in the late Umaru Yar’Adua administration, as well as his inaccessibility to the people of the state.

     

    The zoning controversy

    One factor that could shape the voting pattern in the 2015 governorship election in Taraba State is the delicate issue of zoning, with Taraba South senatorial zone currently laying claim to the seat.

    Since the emergence of democracy in 1999, Taraba North has produced Rev. Jolly Nyame as governor whose administration lasted for eight years followed by Taraba Central which produced Danbaba Suntai who will be ending his eight years tenure in 2015.

    Following an alleged understanding between Suntai and some stakeholders from Taraba South, it was expected that the Southern Senatorial District of the state would produce his successor, a development which allegedly influenced the election of the former Minister of State for Niger Delta, Darius Ishaku as the PDP 2015 governorship candidate.

    But rather than sooth the nerves of stakeholders in Taraba South, Ishaku’s emergence has ignited a serious crisis in Taraba PDP, with other aspirants from the zone such as Chief David Sabo Kente, Damian Dodo and Ambassador Musa John allegedly accusing forces in the Presidency for “imposing” the former minister on the party.

    Before the governorship primaries, which held at the PDP national headquarters in Abuja, there were 13 aspirants from the zone comprising four aspirants from Wukari; four from Donga; three from Takum and one each from Ussa and Ibi local government areas.

    At a grand ceremony in Wukari on March 7, 2014, the Southern Senators Forum had announced Kente as the consensus candidate to represent the zone.

    The decision to endorse Kente, according to the Forum, was based on his track record of achievements, especially having used his foundation – the DSK Foundation – to touch millions of lives positively across the state and beyond.

    Kente, a former Director of Finance of the National Assembly, it was gathered is, arguably, the largest private employer of labour in the state with investments spanning hospitality, oil and gas and construction sectors. He is also said to have facilitated the employment of hundreds of Taraba indigenes in the federal civil service.

    “Kente would have been a better governorship candidate for the PDP, because he is well known in the state as a result of his philanthropic activities,” says a former commissioner in the state who spoke to The Nation last week, adding, “PDP has made a mistake picking Ishaku as its candidate. This is one man who was born, schooled and has had his entire working career outside Taraba. He does not even know the number of local governments in the state. How the party expects such a candidate to win beats my imagination.”

     

    Ethnic, religious factor still potent

    With a 60 percent Christian population, the PDP is upbeat that its chances in next year’s polls are very bright with Ishaku, a Christian as its candidate.

    But Alhassan, according to sources, is confident of swimming against the tide to defeat the PDP candidate. Not a few analysts are quick to point to her victory in 2011 against a Christian, Jolly Nyame, who is also a clergy as a proof that religion may not play a significant role in who wins the governorship election in 2015.

    No sooner did she emerge as the PDP senatorial candidate in 2011 than Alhassan reportedly embarked on a highly visible campaign that dwarfed her major opponent and, in the process, winning many converts from Christian indigenes. Her 2015 campaign strategy is not likely to be different, sources told The Nation.

     

    Disunity in Southern zone

    Another factor the APC and its candidate are reportedly banking on is the lack of unity among the major stakeholders in Taraba South, a development that the political gladiators in the Central and Northern zones have exploited to gain significant mileage in the state politics.

    The resurrection of the age-long ethnic mistrust between some nationalities in Takum, which have been at logger heads because of the perceived injustice by a powerful retired general in the state, is also gradually creeping into the governorship campaign.Allegations are being leveled against the retired general for always favouring his kinsmen over and above other competent indigenes from other zones for strategic appointments at the federal level. This perceived animosity against the influential general may turn out to be Ishaku’s Achilles heels in the governorship election, analysts have argued.

    With the deep seated division and crisis in the PDP running against a united opposition party, boasting of a popular and rich candidate in the person of Senator Aisha Alhassan, close watchers of Taraba politics are saying that 2015 governorship election in the state would be too close to call.

    Comrade Timi Frank is an anti-corruption crusader and the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress. He has been a strong critic of the Goodluck Jonathan government. In this interview, he speaks on several issues, including the amnesty deal in the Niger Delta and how Jonathan betrayed his own people. TONY AKOWE reports

     

  • How Alhassan emerged Taraba APC flag bearer

    How Alhassan emerged Taraba APC flag bearer

     

    Fanen Ihyongo in Jalingo reports on the factors that led to Aisha Jummai Alhassan’s emergence as APC flag bearer in Taraba State.

    MANY believe a woman cannot be a state governor in Nigeria. But a female senator representing Northern Taraba, Aisha Jummai Alhassan, is on the verge of proving wrong this gender dogma. She has won an incredible poll, defeating four influential men, to clench the gubernatorial ticket of the most powerful and most consolidated opposition party in the country-the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    It was an easy cruise for ‘powerful’ Alhassan, who polled a landslide 2, 425 votes of the total 2, 471 valid votes cast. The remaining 46 votes were shared among Mohammed Tumba Ibrahim, Yusufu Akirikwen and Julde Suleiman.

    Chairman of the electoral committee for the APC primaries in Taraba, Kola Shittu, described the election, which was held at the Jolly Nyame Sports Complex, as “free, fair and transparent.”

    The outcome of poll was not totally ridiculous. It was her hard work and philanthropy that paid. Mrs. Alhassan, a lawyer, is arguably the finest politician in Taraba State. She became senator on the platform of the PDP but she decamped to the opposition party to realise her ambition.

    Even in the PDP, then largely regarded as a political neophyte, Alhassan floored a serving senator, Anthony Manzo, to clinch the ruling party’s senatorial ticket. At the general election, she crushed former Governor Jolly Nyame who was fielded by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

    Alhassan, who may had foreseen today’s scenario, was prompt to join the league of senators who defected to the opposition when the PDP became polarised.

    Winning the APC ticket, she thanked delegates for the mandate given her. She extended the olive branch to her opponents who she described as gallant losers.

    The APC standard bearer called on her supporters and the entire people of the state to vote APC at the general elections in order to “erode PDP” from power.

    She accused the ruling party of failing the people and country. “PDP should not be allowed to continue in office in 2015,” she crusaded.

    She told newsmen: “The primary purpose of government is to take care of the people and protect their lives and property. But under PDP rein, the people are dying in poverty; their children cannot go to school and there is no infrastructural development to show.”

    Alhassan was the first female Commissioner of Justice and Attorney- General of the state, first female Registrar, Abuja FCT and first female senator in Taraba State before winning an incredible poll to become the first governorship candidate in the north-eastern geo-political zone.

    While she awaits the emergence of her opponent from the ruling party, Alhassan appears unstoppable. While the infighting in PDP continues, Alhassan has continued to nurture the broom party, which is effectively growing and consolidating its hold in Taraba State. She has often said she would be voted the first female governor in Nigeria.