Aisha Alhassan, popularly known as Mama Taraba, the former Minister of Women Affairs, has died….
Details of her death are sketchy, but Newswire learned that she died in an Egyptian hospital.
In her final years, the deceased battled a long-term illness.
Alhassan ran for governor of Taraba under the All Progressives Congress (APC) banner in 2015, but lost to incumbent Governor Darius Ishaku, who ran under the People’s Democratic Party platform (PDP).
President Muhammadu Buhari appointed her as Minister of Women Affairs shortly after her loss.
She did, however, leave his office in contentious conditions after the APC refused to clear her for the 2019 gubernatorial election.
She resigned from her position and defected to the United Democratic Party (UDP).
Alhassan’s troubles in the APC under Adams Oshiomhole started when she backed ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the run-up to the 2019 elections.
Her comment had caused the APC leadership considerable shame, as a cabinet member was not supposed to support Atiku, who had not yet secured the PDP presidential ticket at the time.
Atiku ran in the 2019 presidential election but was defeated by Buhari.
