TARABA, SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 – The All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified another minister in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet from participating in the forthcoming governorship primaries of the party.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, also known as Mama Taraba, was disqualified from seeking to govern Taraba State on the platform of the APC by the screening committee of the party.
Newsmen noted this on the list released by spokesperson of the APC, Yekini Nabena, which contained the names of all aspirants cleared to participate in the primary election slated for this Saturday.
Unlike the disqualification of the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, who was denied clearance on the grounds that he did participate on the mandatory NYSC service program, Mama Taraba’s case was different.
No reason was given by the screening committee for the failure to clear Mrs Alhassan.
However, it is believed in some quarters that her disqualification was not unconnected to the video that trended last year, which showed Mama Taraba pledging her loyalty to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in any case he decides to contest the 2019 presidency against incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari.
Abubakar was in the APC before defecting to the opposition PDP and is one of the presidential aspirants in the party.
The leadership of the party had also recently replaced members of the State Working Committee of Taraba State with a new caretaker committee.
Most of those removed were loyal to Mrs Alhassan, who was the party’s governorship flag bearer in 2015.
