Minister of women affairs, Hajia Aisha Alhassan says she will support
Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, if he decides to run for office in
2019.
In a video which went viral on Wednesday, the minister declared support
for the former vice-president.
Her action sparked condemnation, particularly among supporters of the All
Progressives Congress (APC).
But in an interview with the BBC Hausa, Alhassan described Abubakar as her
godfather, saying she does not mind losing her job for supporting the
former number two citizen.
“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.”