El-Rufai’s past haunting him, no serious politician will follow him—Kaduna APC

From Noah Ebije, Kaduna

The Kaduna State Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the former governor of the state, Nasir El-Rufai, is being haunted by his past actions and inactions while he governed the state for eight years under the APC before his recent defection to the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP).

In a statement on Tuesday, jointly signed by the State Chairman and Secretary of the APC, Air Commodore Emmanuel Jekada (Rtd), it noted that people were aware that El-Rufai’s motivation for leaving the APC was self-interest.

“Malam Nasir El-Rufai’s much-publicised defection to the SDP has proved to be a non-event. Driven by his exaggerated sense of self-importance and relevance, he took a dive into political oblivion. No person of substance or political relevance followed him to the SDP, except a few of his cronies. This is for understandable reasons. People are aware that Nasir El-Rufai’s motivation for leaving the APC is self-interest.

“He is eager to extract a political ‘pound of flesh’ from those he holds responsible for his descent into the political wilderness. He consulted no one but himself. Malam Nasir El-Rufai has sworn to get even with his perceived political enemies in Kaduna State. He is busy fighting imaginary wars.

“We want to state without any equivocation that nobody is after him in Kaduna State. He is the architect of his political misfortune. His litany of past misdeeds and unforced errors are haunting him. He will remain an outcast in significant parties because of his past misdeeds and legendary propensity for mischief and betrayal. It will not take long before he will ‘throw a cat amongst the pigeons’ in the SDP.

“By accommodating El-Rufai, the SDP has sown the seed of its own destruction. The Kaduna State APC is deeply committed to the promotion and protection of the principles of democracy. We stand for the rule of law and due process.

“We believe that a vibrant and constructive opposition is vital to the strengthening and consolidation of democracy, as well as accelerating the pace of development. The APC-led administration in Kaduna State has been creating a conducive atmosphere for all parties to thrive in the state. It is a known fact that Governor Uba Sani runs an all-inclusive, people-centred, and pro-poor administration.

“The APC will not be distracted by the vituperations of political non-starters who have demystified themselves by pushing their luck too far. The good people of Kaduna State will not fall for their game of manipulation. They had ample opportunity to etch their names in gold, but they recklessly blew it. Rather than desperately searching for someone to pull down, they should engage in soul-searching and atone for their past misdeeds. In so doing, they will find peace.

“For days now, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), an insignificant party in Kaduna State, has been all over the place making bogus claims about its electoral strength and desperately trying to link Hon. Ja’afaru Sani’s brush with the law to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kaduna State.

“Since the entry of the angry, agitated, and frustrated Malam Nasir El-Rufai into their fold, the SDP has been clutching at straws, making wild allegations and crying wolf, all in a bid to draw public sympathy and gain undeserved support for a party which has been in existence for long without any impact in Kaduna State.

“Ordinarily, we would have ignored their mischief, but for members of the public who may be misled into believing their tales by moonlight. They claimed that the APC is worried by the defection of Nasir El-Rufai and Ja’afaru Sani to the SDP.

“They further stated that on account of their defections, the APC has perfected plans to suppress opposition figures in order to instil fear in political circles. Nothing can be further from the truth.

“It is on record that recently, top political figures from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) moved to the APC in large numbers. We received defectors from the National Assembly and the Kaduna State House of Assembly.

“The movement to our party from significant parties in Kaduna State has been overwhelming. With our party reaching a state of near saturation, why should we bother about individuals who are running from pillar to post in search of political relevance?” the statement said.