‘Why I can’t remain your minister’ — Alhassan writes Buhari

Aisha Alhassan, minister of women affairs, says she is not qualified to remain a minister in an All Progressives Congress (APC) government that denied her the opportunity to contest governorship election in Taraba state.

The national working committee of the APC had declared her ineligible to contest the governorship primary election scheduled for Sunday.

Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the APC, had said she was disqualified from the race for anti-party activities.

But Alhassan said the reason for her disqualification has not been communicated to her up till the moment she wrote her letter of resignation from the government.

“Up to the time of writing this letter, no reason is given by the party for my disqualification to contest election under the APC,” she wrote.

In the letter dated September 29, Alhassan thanked Buhari for giving her the opportunity to serve.

She said she had always been a committed and loyal party member and was at no time queried or admonished for any wrongdoing throughout the three years she spent in the government of Buhari.

Alhassan said she chose to quit over what she described as “grave injustice”.

The presidency is yet to react to her resignation.

Below is her letter:

I write with a lot of respect to inform Mr President of my decision to resign my appointment as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC)

Your Excellency may wish to recall that I joined the APC in 2014 along with other members of the then new PDP, contested the 2015 governorship election as the flag bearer of the APC and to the Glory of God, you graciously nominated to be a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Your Excellency Mr President may wish to be reminded that I went through all the screening processes (security, medical and national assembly) as required by constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria after which I was cleared and approved as fit and proper for appointment as minister. Mr President, you therefore graciously appointed and swore me in as minister in November 2015.

Mr President may also wish to recall that I wrote to notify you of my intention to again contest for governor of my state in forthcoming 2019 election under the umbrella of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and you again graciously blessed my intention and wished me well through a letter personally signed by Mr President which I appreciate and will forever cherish.

Sir, I purchased the APC nomination forms and went for the party’s screening on Thursday, the 20th of September 2018 along with ten (10) other contestants for the governorship of my state, Taraba. I, with your permission, proceeded to Taraba on the 23rd of September 2018, to prepare for the presidential and governorship primaries then scheduled for the 25th and 29th of September 2018 respectively.

While preparing for the primaries in Jalingo, I received with the shock and dismay that I was disqualified and not cleared to contest for the 2019 governorship by the National Working Committee of the party (APC). No reason was given for my disqualification.

Mr President may wish to be also informed that I had always been a very committed and loyal party member and was at no time queried or admonished for any wrongdoing or unconstitutional behaviour. Up to the time of writing this letter, no reason is given by the party for my disqualification to contest election under the APC.

It is for the above reasons sir, that I feel grave injustice was done to me by the party (APC), therefore my decision to leave the party and also resign my appointment as minister. If I am not qualified to contest election in the APC, I feel I am also not qualified to remain a minister in an APC government.

May I at this point thank, appreciate and express my profound gratitude to Mr President for the honour, rare privilege and lifetime opportunity you gave me to serve under your great and credible leadership. I learnt a lot (especially patience) under your leadership. Working with you in the last almost three years was great and has immensely improved my leadership quality, I will remain forever grateful for that, sir.

May I also use this opportunity to thank his Excellency, the Vice President, from whom I have also learnt a lot and my colleagues, other members of the Federal Executive Council, the SGF and cabinet office staff for their fellowship and support to me both as minister and personally. May God Almighty reward them all, Amen.

While wishing Mr President continued good health and thanking you again for the opportunity given to me, please accept sir, the assurances of my best wishes always and absolute loyalty to you as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Thank you Sir.