July 29, (THEWILL) – Despite being members of the same political party with both having played significant roles towards ensuring their party’s victory in the last general election, there has been a growing antipathy between Hadiza Bala-Usman, the erstwhile managing director of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA now Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Co Ordination and Hannatu Musawa, the erstwhile Special Adviser to the president on Culture and Entertainment Economy now a ministerial nominee. So thick is the animosity that one can literally slice through it with a sharp knife. Details about why the two women have a frosty relationship remains sketchy but what is however not in doubt is the depth of their hatred for each other which isn’t hidden. Ironically, both women have quite a few things in common. For instance, both are from Katsina State and both worked assiduously for Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress, APC in the last general election. While Hannatu served as the deputy spokesperson of the APC presidential Campaign Council, PCC, Hadiza served as the Deputy Director General (Admin) of the PCC.
Similarly, both women come from popular political families. While Hannatu’s father is the late Katsina politician, Musa Musawa, Hadiza besides being formerly married to an economic analyst, Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi who served under the former (Late) President Umaru Musa Yar’adua as his economic adviser, is the daughter of late Yusufu Bala Usman, a rebel who went against his royal roots to become a social critic and a lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University. Until Thursday June 27, both women were Special Advisers before Tinubu decided to elevate Hannatu to the position of a minister, a move that didn’t go down quite well with Hadiza. She had expected to be the one to be elevated to ministerial level going by her career trajectory and educational qualification, not minding Hannatu’s own personal achievements. Unfortunately, she got the shocker of her life when she was looked over for Hannatu. This singular act has further deepened her hatred for Hannatu as she feels she is more deserving of that honour. With Hannatu’s elevation as minister, it is obvious both are no longer on the same pedestal, what with the privileges that comes with being a minister. It is unclear how this will pan out but hopefully Tinubu doesn’t assign any portfolio that is anywhere near Policy Coordination to Hannatu to avoid a repetition of what happened between Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who was a former Minister of Niger Delta and his junior minister, Festus Keyamo. Both men worked at cross purposes as they were always at loggerhead before Keyamo was moved to the Labour Ministry for peace to reign.
