A former Senate President and Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Ahmed Lawan, was on Monday snubbed by former First Lady and wife of former President, Aisha Buhari, at an event to mark the one year remembrance of the late President in Abuja.
Sources that attended the event said: “as expected, on arrival at any event of such magnitude, invited guests would always want to exchange pleasantries with the host(s) of events, but the former Senate President met the shock of his life, as his attempt to exchange pleasantries with the former First Lady, was rebuffed with her keeping a straight face without attempting to recognise Lawan’s overture to her on the front row of the dignitaries.
“As a result of the very embarrassing development, Lawan quickly rushed to his seat at the back row.
“The unfortunate development left tongues wagging as to what would have caused the snubbing of Lawan by the former First Lady.”
The sources further disclosed that an attempt by the former APC presidential aspirant to have a picture with the former First Lady was summarily rejected by her to the consternation of other guests at the event.
The sources said Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Babagana Zulum of Lagos and Borno States respectively, who were at the event were said to have been shell-shocked by the development.
It is recalled that in the countdown to the 2022 presidential primary of the ruling APC, some entrenched interest within the corridors of power, led by the incumbent Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, had rallied behind Lawan, as the purported preferred candidate of the late President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration against the interest of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
It was also learnt that the former First Lady was vehemently opposed to the purported endorsement of Lawan by the Villa Cabal against Tinubu and that was why she publicly displayed her support for Tinubu at the Eagle Square.
It was gathered from competent sources, that the former First Lady is yet to forgive Lawan; a former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele; Mamman Daura among numerous players in her late husband’s administration, whom she believes were responsible for the downward ratings of the administration.
Efforts to get Lawan’s reaction to the incident were unsuccessful.
