by Alexander O. Onukwue
In a sense, Mrs Aisha Alhassan has dared President Muhammadu Buhari to make her one of the casualties of a cabinet shuffle, if and when he decides to do so.
She may not have wished the public attention now on her resulting from the revelations of her video conversations with Atiku, but the reality of that disclosure but her in an untenable situation. Doubling down on her loyalty to the former VP was one part, but also pledging allegiance to President Buhari.
Without mincing words, the former gubernatorial candidate for Taraba state made it clear that she would have no difficulty in choosing who to support should both men be available on the ballot in 2019. Mrs Alhassan says Atiku has been influential to her political career till date and that her present portfolio as Minister was not necessarily something craved or lobbied for.
The outlook is one of apathy, of not giving much of a damn what becomes of the Buhari Presidency. Like some have commented on social media, she has almost, in effect, declared Buhari a “lame duck” President who is only bidding his time till more capable (at least in her estimation) persons are up for election in 2019.
For a potential Atiku Presidency it puts her in a favorable position, so much so that were she not also from the same geopolitical zone and of the same religion as her godfather, she may even be an early front-runner for the VP slot. That would be something to celebrate for the women folk in Nigeria whom President Buhari figuratively described as only belonging to the “other room” by his reference to First Lady Aisha Buhari.
Perhaps chipping in for her namesake, Mrs Alhassan has consigned Mr President to the indignity of being the Other Baba.
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