When Aisha Alhassan was declared as the legitimate winner of Taraba Gubernatorial election, every Nigerian woman acknowledged the victory as her own.
For the first time in history, Nigeria can boast of a female Governor and not just an ordinary female governor, one who was poised to become a Minister of the Federal Republic.
Today, when you count the number of first ladies in Nigeria, you have to include a First Gentleman.
In politics, once a woman wins a high political office like President or Governor, her partner is called the First Gentleman.
You might have never heard of Joachim Sauer but he is Germany’s First Gentleman. Obviously when he married German Chancellor, Angela Markel, he didn’t imagine that he would be so immersed in public life.
On several occasions, he has stated that he is not fond of publicity.
There has been a lot of debate on what Bill Clinton will bear if Hilary Clinton wins the Presidential election.
Some say that because he has served as a President, he shouldn’t bear the title of First Gentleman while others claim the title is well justified.
There are so many states in America that have a First Gentleman. Former Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin had a first gentleman. Her husband Todd Mitchell Palin, is an American oil field production operator, commercial fisherman and champion snowmobile racer.
He was First Gentleman or First Dude as he was often nicknamed for two and the half years.
Current President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf married James Sirleaf when she was 17 but later got divorced so Liberia cannot claim to have a First Gentleman.
Engr. M. S. Alhassan is officially the First Gentleman of Taraba. He married Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan in 2007.
He was the Executive Secretary of the Directorate of Engineering Services – Federal Capital Development Authority during the Nasir el-Rufai land allocation saga in 2009.
Although the Nigerian constitution has does not create an office for the country’s First Lady or potential First Gentleman, the federal government and the state government provides funding for the office.
First Ladies have always advocated a cause in their state, when Remi Tinubu was the first lady of Lagos, she created the New Era Foundation which saw the emergence of talented One Day Governors in Lagos.
All across the 36 states of the Federation, First Ladies always help the less privileged in one way or the other.
Chief Ebere Obiano, Anambra State First Lady recently gave out wheel chairs of physically challenged residents of the state.
The question is what should we expect from Nigeria’s Foremost First Gentleman?
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