TheCable

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says Aisha Alhassan, minister of women affairs, only came to its headquarters to brief party leaders about the post 2015 governorship election.

Alhassan was the party’s candidate in Taraba during the last governorship election.

Reacting to the reports on the delegation which the minister led to the party’s national secretariat on Thursday, Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the ruling party, on Saturday said Alhassan used the opportunity of the visit to seek the appointment of qualified party members.

Alhassan had expressed reservations over the manner in which her people were being treated by the current administration, and sought the intervention of party leaders.

She had described as “unfortunate”, the existing situation where members of the party and the state were not carried along in government appointments and projects.

She had said apart from her appointment and that of an ambassador from the state, which were mandated by the constitution, nothing meaningful had come to the state.

Alhassan added that the members who had worked for the party in the state expected their leaders to assist them in securing political appointments.

“I have come as a party member and a leader with my brothers from Taraba to air our problems; the APC people in Taraba are very worried,” she had said.

“No opposition party performed as well as we did since 1999, but unfortunately, apart from my appointment which is statutory and constitutional, and the ambassadorial, we still do not have any

“Taraba state APC should be remembered, this is our plea. If projects are sent to the state which is controlled by the PDP, our people are left hanging.”

But Abdullahi said Alhassan thanked Buhari for making key appointments from the state.

“The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to media reports on Thursday’s courtesy visit on the party’s national leadership by the honourable minister of women affairs, Hajiya Aisha Jummai Alhassan who led a delegation of Taraba APC leaders to the national secretariat of the party in Abuja,” he said in a statement.

“The honourable minister of women affairs briefed the party’s leadership on developments and activities of the Taraba APC, post 2015 governorship election in which the minister contested as the party’s governorship candidate.

“The minister also used the opportunity to convey to the party’s national leadership the request of the Taraba APC delegation particularly on citing of federal projects in Taraba state and appointment of qualified Taraba state APC members into yet-to-be occupied appointive positions in the President Muhammabu Buhari-led APC administration.

“At the meeting, the honorable minister thanked the president for key appointments made from Taraba state including hers, ambassador, director-general of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) amongst others.

“The party’s leadership promised to consider the request made by the Taraba APC delegation and consult with relevant stakeholders in the Party and government.

“The APC remain proud of the honourable minister for leaving more than a few indelible cracks in the glass ceiling as our candidate in the 2015 governorship election in Taraba state. She remains strong evidence that APC is the only Party willing to give women a real chance.”