Buhari gives Mama Taraba blessing to contest in gubernatorial election

President Muhammadu Buhari has given his blessings to Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Aisha Alhassan, to contest in the 2019 Taraba State gubernatorial election.

Alhassan, popularly called Mama Taraba, finished second (275,984 votes) to current Taraba governor, Darius Ishaku (369,318 votes), in the 2015 gubernatorial election and has publicly expressed her wish to contest again several times.

In a letter dated July 27, 2018, President Buhari thanked her for her services to the All Progressives' Congress (APC) and wished her well for the election.

The letter read, "I have today received your letter notifying me of your intention to contest for the governorship of Taraba State in the 2019 election.

"Let me thank you on behalf of the Federal Executive Council and Nigerians for your services as minister under this administration. I note with passion your past contribution to our great party APC during and after the 2015 elections.

"As you are aware I am totally committed to free and fair elections. Our policy is to support all APC candidates. I wish you well in your ambition to be governor of your state.

"Rest assured that all security agencies as well as INEC will have my full support to conduct free, fair and transparent elections in 2019."

Mama Taraba's 2015 battle

Alhassan came close to becoming Nigeria's first democratically-elected female governor after a tribunal court briefly nullified Ishaku's victory at the 2015 polls. The court reached the judgement based on Alhassan's argument that Ishaku could not have been eligible for the election since he allegedly did not partake in any primary election by his party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Alhassan's hopes were cut short when the Court of Appeal in Abuja overruled the tribunal's judgement, ruling that it's a gross misdirection in law.

The five-man panel unanimously ruled that Alhassan and the APC had no right or capacity to question the decision of the PDP who decided to field Ishaku to the satisfaction of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This decision was upheld by the Supreme Court who ruled that the appeal by the APC and its candidate lacked merit.