Aisha Alhassan expected to declare her candidacy for Taraba State governor after her convoy is attacked

NIGERIA'S minister of women affairs Hadjia Aisha Alhassan looks all poised to launch another Taraba State governorship bid after she attended a political rally in Takum where her convoy was attacked by hoodlums who damaged two of its vehicles.

Hadjia Alhassan, 58, ran for Taraba State governor in 2015 as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate but was narrowly defeated by incumbent Governor Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Over the weekend, Hadjia Alhassan escaped an attack as thugs attacked her convoy in Takum Local Government Area, shattering the windscreens of two of her vehicles.

Apparently, the incident happened while the minister was in Takum to monitor the Taraba State House of Assembly bye-election called to replace late Hon Hosea Ibi who was killed early this year. According to the minister, the hoodlums were brought in by the state government to cause confusion as the APC was coasting to victory in the bye-election.

Hadjia Alhassan said that no one was hurt in the attack and the only damage was to the two cars that were conveying the state chairman of the PDP Abdulmumini Vakki and herself. She described the attack on her as a frustrated attempt by the state government over the rousing welcome she received in Governor Darius Ishaku’s home town.

“My convoy was attacked by thugs hired by the Taraba State government. These thugs were brought in from Wukari, Bali and Jalingo just to cause confusion when the governor saw clearly that his people had rejected him in his own home town and have given me and my people a rousing welcome and continue to cheer us wherever we went.

“My joy is that, even though there was a large crowd there cheering us, nobody was hurt, even though they shattered the rear glasses of two of my vehicles. More so, this was an attacked by aliens because the people on ground here have shown overwhelming support for the APC but the state governor has been openly disgraced by his own people, in his own town,” Hadjia Alhassan added.

Earlier this year, Hadjia Alhassan caused a huge controversy when she said she would be backing former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar if he ran for president. She added that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was her political godfather and would get her support but the dynamics have since changed as he has left the APC and defected to the PDP.

So far, Hadjia Alhassan is yet to formally declare her candidacy but she is expected to do so later on in the year. Meanwhile, Governor Ishaku has declared that he did not hire thugs to attack the minister's convoy.