The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied requesting for the resignation of the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Jumai Aisha Alhassan over her controversial comments declaring support for former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
The spokesperson of the party, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi on Friday said that her appearance at the party’s National Secretariat, Abuja, on Thursday, was not on summon.
The minister, who had been in the eye-of-the-storm over her comment on her choice of presidential aspirant for the 2019 election, had a closed-door meeting with the party’s leadership at the secretariat.
She had reportedly said that she would support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar if he shows interest in the 2019 presidential race, explaining that the man is her “godfather”.
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The comment drew the flak of APC stalwarts, who dubbed it anti-Buhari and anti-party, saying she iws disloyal and should resign or be sacked.
At the end of the “meeting”, which lasted about two hours, Alhassan, a former senator, was said to have avoided media enquiry on her mission at the secretariat.
Party meeting
Speaking with newsmen after the meeting in Abuja, Abdullahi said the minister had just a meeting with 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 explained.
However, a source close to APC leadership confided that leaders at the meeting expressed shock and bitterness over the minister’s comment.
According to the source, the minister was told that the party can no longer trust her.
