Mama Taraba should resign before she gets fired

And she brought it all upon herself.

Alhassan who is fondly called ‘Mama Taraba’ had a choice between concealing her intentions and running her mouth. She chose the latter.

In Robert Greene’s classic ‘48 laws of power’, the author cautions that in the power game, you conceal your intentions, learn who you are dealing with, do not offend the wrong person, say less than is necessary and master the art of perfect timing.

By endorsing Atiku Abubakar for the 2019 presidential race when her boss, Buhari, hasn’t yet ruled himself out of a reelection battle, Mama Taraba trampled on all laws of power known to mankind in one fell swoop.

Her timing was atrocious. Her mouth hasn’t stopped running all week. She’s shown disloyalty and no boss tolerates disloyalty from within his camp.

ALSO READ: 'I'm not afraid of Buhari, he can sack me if he wants', Mama Taraba says

In her defense, she said Buhari had told his inner circle (which includes her of course) before the 2015 election that he wouldn’t be seeking a second term once his first term elapses. Even that in itself was a tacit admission that you can’t trust Mama Taraba to keep a secret.

2015 is a long time ago and people do change their minds in the light of new developments.

At exactly 2:24pm on Thursday, September 7, ‘Mama Taraba’ waltzed into the Villa and no one was willing to take her into their offices.

Reports say the President was on his desk, but didn’t want to see her. Neither was Vice President Yemi Osinbajo willing to touch her with a ten-foot pole.

Mama Taraba also made her way to Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari’s office—but even he didn’t want to have anything to do with her.

So, she stepped out of the Villa the way she had come--a pariah.

She has fallen out of favour with her superiors. She has fallen on her own sword.

Outside the Villa, State House correspondents sought to know from Mama Taraba if she had any regrets for saying she’ll back Atiku in the 2019 contest. The Minister wouldn’t back down. As a matter of fact, she doubled down on her previous comments.

“Atiku is my godfather and if he’s on the ballot….I’ll choose him over Buhari or I’ll beg Buhari not to contest again….”

Asked if she now realises that she is facing the sack, Mama Taraba said: “God gives and God takes….you know that there’s an end to everything”.

Of course she knows that for her, the end has now come.

Quizzed on her relationship with Buhari at the moment, she said: “How will I know? I have not seen the President but I don’t think the President is a naïve person.”

Mama Taraba has broken ranks and she’s now firmly in Atiku’s camp. Even if Buhari wasn’t going to be hurling his hat into the ring in 2019, setting out her political stall this early makes her a distraction and liability in the cabinet.

Aso Rock sources have told this writer that Buhari won’t pull the trigger on her. That he’s willing and ready to wait this one out and see how it all pans out. A student of power himself, the President knows that you do not put too much trust in friends…that you learn how to use your enemies.

“He’ll keep her around and see if she gets the message and resigns. The President won’t want to look vindictive by firing her”, offered the source.

Another source has squealed that a cabinet reshuffle is imminent and that Mama Taraba knows she was already on the chopping block, hence her decision to risk it all by going public.

In any case, she’s now bitten the bullet and left herself in an untenable position.

Should Buhari go ahead and fire her now, she’ll understand. She’ll have no complaints.

ALSO READ: How ever smiling Aisha Alhassan became Mama Taraba

She’s broken the code. She’s shown disloyalty. She’ll now be considered a snitch at federal executive council, inner circle and party meetings.

In the world of the ‘mafia’, you resign even before you get fired once you’ve crossed the red line and gone against the grain. In the convoluted world of power, there’ll be hell to pay for running your mouth.

That’s just the way it works.

Mama Taraba should pick up her belongings from her office space and walk. And she shouldn't forget to close the door behind her.