Politics
By Anthony Isibor
NAJA’ATU Muhammad is definitely not a political paperweight and one to be pushed around as seen, especially from her recent banter with the All Progressive Congress, APC, Presidential Campaign Council, PCC.
The very opinionated Naja’atu, who is also a political activist, has definitely made her mark and built her credibility among the political class.
She may have recently come into the political searchlight after her resignation as Director of Civil Society of the PCC of the APC, but she is definitely not new to the Nigerian political space.
As the controversies surrounding her resignation continue to rage, many Nigerians have wondered who she is.
Naja’atu Muhammad, who is the widow of Dr Bala Muhammed, a former political adviser to Second Republic Governor Abubakar Rimi, who was murdered by a mob that caused a rampage after Governor Rimi issued the Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, a query, had obtained her Bachelor’s degree in History from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and was one of the first women to have served as president of the National Students Union, Nigeria.
As the first female Vice-President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANs, is not new to Nigerian politics, neither is she ignorant of its many games and controversies as she claimed to have brought President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, into politics.
Born in 1956, the Nigerian politician. was the nominee of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, for Kano Central District Senatorial seat in the 2007 general elections.
In 2018, she was appointed as Commissioner in the Police Service Commission.
As an activist, she had in November 2022, asked that the First Lady Aisha Buhari be brought to justice over the imprisonment of Aminu Mohammed, who was a final year student at the Federal University Dutse in Jigawa State
Her influence in the politics of northern Nigeria cannot be undermined and she is believed to be capable of scuffling the APC and Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential ambition faster than Michael Achinugu could ever do to PDP and Atiku Abubakar.
Naja’atu, who has said that she had rejected ministerial nominations from two separate administrations of Olusegun Obasanjo, and Goodluck Jonathan, was also part of the conveners of “Save Nigeria” movement.
It is therefor not surprising that her resignation from the APC PCC has been attacked severely by the party as an act of betrayal, and have received same wide condemnation by same. however, she has remained unfaced in her decision to leave the Tinubu campaign team and the party for the PDP.
But the APC has described her as a mole in the party, who has only gone back to where she belonged. The party alleged that she was sacked from the party because of her incompetence and quarrelsomeness’.
In her defense, she said that she couldn’t have been sacked after she had sent in her resignation letter to the National chairman of the party, adding that her decision was between the devil (APC) and the deep blue sea (PDP).
According to the resignation letter that she sent to Abdullahi Adamu, national chairman of the APC, Naja’atu bemoaned the condition of the country, noting that recent events in the political and democratic environment, make it difficult for her to continue her involvement in party politics.
She remarked that “the challenges that Nigeria Face today require me to continue championing the struggle for a better country with a clear conscience as I remain absolutely loyal to Nigeria.”
“The challenges that Nigeria faces today require me to continue championing the struggle for a better country with a clear conscience.”
In her resignation statement, the activist explained that she had to leave the scene after coming to the conclusion that her core principles and convictions were no longer compatible with party politics.
According to Naja’atu, there are no distinctions in ideology across political platforms, which are “robes that politicians wear to satisfy their own goals and interests”.
“I am dedicated to providing help to persons who are really interested in tackling the underlying causes of our problems. One must be willing to take courageous and decisive action in order to keep their word on such agreements.
In her views, the challenges demand the concerted efforts of knowledgeable and patriotic leadership at all levels of government.
Her interviews so far both in Africa Independent Television, AIT, and Arise TV show that Hajiya Naja, as she is fondly called, is not one to be taken for granted.
During one of her sessions with the Arise TV team, she said that she would not repeat the mistake she made with President Muhammadu Buhari with Tinubu.
However, it is ironical that Hajiya-Naja as she is sometimes called, would choose to pitch her camp with Atiku Abubarkar of the PDP, who happens to be going through a raging political turbulence of his own following the accusations or fraud.
As the elections draw nearer, Nigerians are watching and waiting in apprehension for the unfolding political drama.
A.I
Tags: Abdullahi Adamu AISHA Buhari All Progressive Congress Aminu Mohammed Goodluck Jonathan Naja'atu Muhammad Olusegun Obasanjo Peoples Democratic Party
