TheCable

Aisha Alhassan, minister of women affairs, arrived Wednesday’s meeting of the federal executive council (FEC) at 10:45am to a warm reception from her cabinet colleagues.

The meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, started at 11am.

A video of Alhassan in which she appeared to be campaigning for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for president in 2019 went viral last week.

She later told BBC Hausa service that even if Buhari decides to seek re-election in 2019, she would campaign for Atiku.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for her sack while Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, said Buhari was advised against appointing her as minister.

But TheCable observed that she was the centre of attention before FEC meeting started, contrary to expectations that she would be given a cold shoulder.

Before entering the council chambers, she went to exchange pleasantries with Kayode Fayemi, minister of mines and steel, who was in company with Abba Kyari, chief of staff, and Jalil Arabi, state house permanent secretary.

Inside the chambers, she went around to greet some of her colleagues, including minister of state for health, minister of state for budget and national planning, minister of foreign affairs, minister of finance, and acting secretary to the government of the federation.

She later went to meet Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo when he walked in and spent a few minutes discussing with him.

Their tete-a-tete ended when Buhari walked in at exactly 11am.