Ahead of the 2019 general election in the country, there are indications that Taraba State governor, Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), may team up with the present minister of women affairs, Senator Aisha Jumai Alhassan, currently in the All Progressive Congress (APC), as candidate and running mate respectively, so as to retain the number one seat in the state.
This is coming on the heels of the defection of Alhassan’s professed political godfather and former vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, from the APC to the PDP in pursuance of his Presidential ambition. Sources very familiar with the political arrangement told Daily Sun that talks have started between Alhassan and Ishaku’s camps for her to join force with the governor as his running mate for the 2019 election.
Alhassan was Ishaku’s main rival in the 2015 general election and had pursued a legal battle against the governor up to the Supreme Court that almost cost the governor his seat. The duo have not been in good terms ever since. The minister is on record to have said Ishaku was the “worse governor ever in the history of the state” as he is “leading the state astray because of how clueless he is”.
On other occasion, she accused Ishaku of “not only dividing the state along tribal, ethnic, religious and political lines, but also has been highly insensitive to the plight f the people. Darius must understand that he is not the governor only for certain sections or interests in the state but for everyone who is an indigene or resident of this state. He must carry other tribes as well as people who profess religious beliefs and political ideologies different from his along, as they are also indigenes of this state and have a right to good governance.
Governor Ishaku does not also find Alhassan as one of his favorite politicians in the state either. As the only minister from the state, there appears to be no collaboration between the duo at all. Ishaku is quoted to have accused the minister of been “highly insensitive” and “playing cheap politics with human lives just to score some political points”.
They have clashed on several occasions over issues, including relief materials for internally displaced persons (IDPs), the handling of Gembu crisis, the use of the VIP lounge at the Danbaba Danfulani Suntai Airport, Jalingo, among others.
During a recent visit of vice President Yemi Osinbajo to the state, youths, loyal to Alhassan allegedly stoned the governor when he went with the visiting Osinbajo to Alhassan house where Osinbajo was to meet with APC loyalists. That goes out to show the extent of animosity between the duo, a source told Daily Sun.
This is besides the fact that Alhassan is perceived not to enjoy the goodwill of Ishaku’s perceived godfather, General T.Y. Danjuma, and the duo been in different political parties at the moment.
However, Alhassan had earlier announced her unwavering support for Abubakar and her preference for him to President Muhammadu Buhari for the number one seat in the country come 2019. Alhassan had said that if Buhari were to contest against Atiku, she would support Atiku over Buhari. This was in the midst of talks about Atiku’s imminent defection from the party that came to manifestation just weeks later.
With Atiku moving over to the PDP, it follows naturally that her loyalty moves with him to his new party and interest, Daily Sun gathered. A source close to Alhassan who pleaded anonymity however revealed that she may never defect to the PDP in Taraba state but would continue to work for Atiku, even as an APC member.
Spokesman of the APC Integrity group Mr Aaron Artimas however said that it would not come as a surprise if Alhassan defects to the PDP, since her mentor has already taken the lead. Artimas insisted that even if she stays in the APC, the party would not accord her any trust as she would obviously be working to protect the interest of her mentor that is now against the interest of the APC.
“It is clear that she is now more of a PDP member than a member of the APC. She publicly declared her support for Atiku who is now in the PDP and it follows naturally that she would also move over to the PDP. Her major political ally in the state Mr Abdulmunini Vakki is now the Taraba State coordinator of Atiku Abubakar activities. So how can you be in the APC and be coordinating the political activities of a candidate in another party? You will definitely have to work against your own party. So as it is now, both of them are seeing as moles in the APC and are treated with great caution and their movement would be a great relief, considering that the party has a very strong base outside Aisha and Vakki”, Artimas said.
Another source told Daily Sun that, with her open profession of loyalty to Atiku and the latter’s defection to the PDP, the APC would be wary and suspicious of her and where her true loyalty lies, especially if Atiku and Buhari eventually get the tickets to contest against each other in the 2019 general election.
But the APC legal adviser in Taraba Halidu Yakubu disclosed that Alhassan may never conceive the idea of defecting to the PDP, let alone teaming up with Governor Ishaku.
According to Yakubu, “I don’t see her (Alhassan) leaving the APC for another party, especially the PDP even if the party were to hand her their governorship ticket, let alone, going to work with the governor as his deputy. I strongly doubt if she will do that, although this is politics and you know that people can do a lot of things just to achieve their political ambitions.”
He however said the party was still very comfortable with Alhassan and has no doubts about her loyalty to the party both at the state and national levels.
Reacting to the alleged talks between the Ishaku and the Alhassan camps, the state publicity secretary of the PDP Mr Inuwa Bakare told our correspondent that he was not aware ofsuch talks, but could not deny categorically the possibility of such.
Bakare told Daily Sun that the PDP doors were widely open to welcome anyone or group who have decided to fall back in line. According to Bakare, “Aisha (Alhassan) has been part of PDP from the onset. The PDP made her a senator and brought her to political limelight. So for us in the PDP, she is simply welcomed home. She is a daughter of the party.
“And with the defection of Atiku (Abubakar) to the PDP now, it has given confidence to a lot of people who were having doubts and reservations initially and one would naturally expect a wave of defection to follow that soon. So we are not surprised if she has plans to return to the party, but I am not aware of any talks to that effect involving the PDP”, Bakare said.
Source: Daily Sun
Source: Daily Sun
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