Nigeria's First Lady Dares Ruling Party, Launches Personal Campaign Team for Elections

During his campaign, Muhammadu Buhari had said there will be no office of the first lady or a budgetary allocation to the position if elected into power as Nigeria’s president.

According to him, this was one of the many ways in which successive governments looted and misappropriated funds in the country.

As a self-acclaimed pillar of discipline and anti-corruption, Buhari said such unconstitutional provisions would not be accommodated in his government, and indeed many Nigerians and Africans saw reasons with him.

However, a few months after coming into power, it appeared to take the popular route commonly taken by elected political leaders across Africa. The route where all their promises fall to the ground void! Not only has the office of the first lady become magnified in Nigeria, it has also become very wealthy and influential.

Today, the first lady of Nigeria, Aisha Buhari has become an strong voice of reckoning within the Nigerian political space like her predecessor.

In her latest move, the first lady has announced that she will be inaugurating a parallel campaign structure today at the Banquet Hall of the State House Presidential Villa, Abuja; which will see her employ the services of 500 persons in a bid to get her husband re-elected.

The first lady has never hidden her displeasure at the modus operandi operated by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) who she has constantly accused of subjecting her husband to relegation while the country is piloted by a powerful cabal who doesn't have the interest of the country at heart – a claim her husband has denied.

The inauguration of the 500-member team comes a few days after a 47-member team was released by the presidency for the re-election bid of the president.

According to a statement released by the spokesperson of Mrs. Buhari, Suleiman Haruna, the president will inaugurate the team by 2 p.m today.

This will be the first time a Nigerian first lady has ever set up a separate campaign council for their spouse seeking re-election.

Reports making the rounds have revealed that some supporters of the party have expressed fears that having two different campaign councils might lead to a crisis within the party’s hierarchy.

You will recall that in December 2016, during an interview with BBC, the first lady had threatened to withdraw support for her husband if he chose to seek re-election bid unless restructures his cabinet and includes the people who helped him succeed in 2015.

What is going on?