The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Aisha Jummai Alhassan was the centre of attraction during Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The minister was the talk of the seat of power as different categories of Villa staff were discussing her in groups when she came for the FEC meeting at about 10:35am.
Photo journalists and cameramen also had a field day taking her shots as she moved round the Council Chambers.
The meeting was chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari whom the minister said she would not support if he decides to run for a second term in 2019.
Alhassan had in an interview with the BBC Hausa service aired last week disclosed that she would support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in 2019 even if President Buhari is interested in a second term in office.
She said she would rather resign as minister than to abandon Atiku Abubakar “if he decides to run for Presidential elections in 2019.”
The minister also told State House correspondents that she doesn’t care if the President relieves her of the ministerial appointment on the comments she made concerning the 2019 polls and her choice of candidate.
“God gives and God takes. That is all and I have said it all in Hausa. You know that there is an end to everything,” she said.
On her relationship with the President, she said: “How will I know. I have not seen the President but I don’t think the President is a naive person.”
Before entering the Council Chamber, Alhassan went to greet the Minister of Mines and Steel, Mr. Kayode Fayemi, who was standing with the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Abba Kyari, and the Permanent Secretary of State House, Mr. Jalal Arabi.
At the Council Chambers, she went round and exchanged pleasantries with some of her colleagues who were already seated.
Those she greeted were the Acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Minister of Budget and National Planning, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, Minister of State for Health and the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, among others.
She sat down briefly and conferred with the ministers seating next to her, and later went to meet Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
She spent few minutes chatting with Osinbajo who was listening and nodding his head, their chat ended when the President walked into the Council Chambers at exactly 11:00am, which signaled the commencement of the meeting.
