Hajia Jummai Al-Hassan is a woman of substance who can be described as one of the Amazons in Nigerian politics. Although she has been politically active in her native Taraba State since 2005 when she joined Peoples Democratic Party while still in the civil service,however it was in 2010 that she shot into national reckoning when she defeated then serving Senator, Anthony Manzo to clinch the ticket to represent Taraba North constituency in the upper legistlative chambers.By this time she had formally disengaged from the civil service.
Her political profile has continued to be on the rise since then.An affable politician reputed to be an orator,crowd puller and well loved by her people, Al- Hassan was in the Senate for four years until she later decamped to All Progressives Congress where against all odds she emerged as the party’s flag bearer for Taraba State during the last year gubernatorial election.
During the first ballot, there was no clear winner between her , and her main opponent, Darius Ishaku who was however later declared winner after a re-run on April 25, 2015.
Not daunted by the sudden twist in her political career and convinced that she won the poll, Al-Hassan dragged Ishaku before Taraba state governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja challenging INEC’s declaration of her opponent as the winner of the election.
While pursuing her legal battle before the Tribunal , Al-Hassan was later nominated as one of the ministers-designate by President Muhammadu Buhari. On November 7,2015,good news came Al- Hassan’s way when the Tribunal sacked Ishaku and consequently declared her as the winner of the governorship election.
The whole Taraba state erupted in joy.History has been made as Al-Hassan became the first democratically elected woman governor in Nigeria.Her supporters and the leaders of APC rolled out the drums to celebrate her heroic achievements. Series of congratulatory messages were rolled out in national dailies including electronic media to celebrate Al-hassan with many people describing her as a woman with the midas touch.It was indeed a glorious moment for the woman many refer to as Mama Taraba.Sky appears to be the limit for the populist woman.
However, while Al-Hassan,her supporters and APC leaders were still savouring the joy of victory, Ishaku and PDP leaders headed to the Appeal Court where their lawyers filed an appeal against the judgement of the Election Tribunal.The whole nation was in suspense with many waiting to see where the pendulum of justice would go.
On December 31, eve of the new year judgement was finally delivered by The Appeal Court.In its ruling the Appelate Court upturned the verdict of the election Tribunal, and consequently declare Ishaku as the validly elected governor of Taraba State.The court further held that Al-Hassan and APC had no right to challenge the election in which Ishaku emerged since none of them was a member of PDP.This was how the dream of Al-Hassan to make history was aborted.
A lawyer by training, Al-Hassan was the first female Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Taraba State.She was also the first woman to be appointed Secretary FCT Judicial Council.
About The Nigerian Blogger
0 comments :
Post a Comment