The National Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bolaji Abdullahi Friday, said the party has not asked the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Aisha Alhassan to resign – for saying she would support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar if he shows interest in the 2019 presidential race.

Abdullahi also said the minister’s appearance at the party’s National Secretariat, Abuja, on Thursday, was not on a summon.

The comment drew the flak of APC stalwarts, who dubbed it anti-Buhari and anti-party, saying she was disloyal to the government and should resign or be sacked.

At the end of the meeting, which lasted about two hours, Alhassan avoided journalists’ enquiry on her mission at the secretariat.

Abdullahi said the minister had just a meeting with the leadership of the party, but “was not asked to resign her position as may be speculated.”

‘’No, that did not come up. What we said was that we understood the context in which she said what she said.

‘’But, it was an act of indiscretion for someone occupying the position she is occupying in the party to make that kind of statement,’’ he said.