Former minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassa, popularly known as Mama Taraba, is dead.
Suleiman Dantsoho, her former media aide, confirmed the death. He said the former minister died at a Cairo hospital on Friday, May 7.
The deceased battled a protracted illness in her last years.
Alhassan contested the Taraba 2015 governorship election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) but lost to incumbent Governor Darius Ishaku, who ran under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Shortly after her loss, President Muhammadu Buhari named her Minister of Women Affairs.
However, she left his administration under controversial circumstances as the APC failed to clear her for the 2019 gubernatorial election.
She had resigned from her appointment and defected to the United Democratic Party (UDP).
Alhassan’s travails in the APC under the chairmanship of Adams Oshiomhole began when she endorsed ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2019 elections.
Her statement had caused a huge embarrassment to the APC leadership, as a cabinet member was not expected to endorse Atiku, who had not clinched the PDP presidential ticket at the time.
Atiku contested the 2019 presidential election but lost to Buhari.
