Aisha Buhari, the wife of the president, says she is committed to intervening in the situation in the Adamawa chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Aishatu Binani, the senator representing Adamawa central, had defeated Nuhu Ribadu, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Jibrilla Bindow, former governor of the state, to win the governorship primary held on May 26.
Aggrieved by the outcome of the election, Ribadu instituted a suit challenging Binani’s victory.
A federal high court in Yola, the Adamawa capital, had nullified the primary in October.
However, in a ruling delivered on Thursday, November 24, an appeal court in the state restored Binani’s candidacy.
The development elicited celebration from women shareholders, with Pauline Tallen, the minister of women affairs, describing it as “the beginning of good things” for Nigerian women.
The first lady was however reported to have pitched her tent with Ribadu during a meeting of Adamawa APC stakeholders held last week.
Breaking her silence on Tuesday, the first lady, who is a native of the state, said she will get involved in the “problem” to ensure that “common sense” prevails in Adamawa politics.
She said in an Instagram post: “In the name of Allah, I wish to thank Adamawa State APC Leaders for the courtesy visit they paid on me, on November 18, 2022.
“As an indigene of the State, a mother a Grand Mother and the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I would like to reaffirm my support for the genuine concern of our party leaders, as well as COMMIT TO STEPPING INTO THE PROBLEM so that reason and common sense will prevail in Adamawa politics.”
Aisha Buhari also called on northern leaders to emulate their south-west counterparts by “enthroning women” as deputy governors in the states in the region.
“I would again like to repeat my appeal to respected leaders in the North to learn from the exemplary practice of their Southwest counterparts in enthroning women as Deputy Governors in states as a gradual approach to obtaining gender inclusion in our polity,” she wrote.
“This is a most realistic step in our efforts at attaining gender justice instead of supporting the pursuit of the misplaced ambition of an individual do-or-die politician.”
If victorious in the 2023 elections, Binani will become the first elected female governor of Adamawa state.
