Kaduna Governor, Malam Nasir el Rufai has denied putting out a viral social post which roundly berated southern politicians in the All Progressives Congress (APC) for their inability to deliver votes to President Muhammadu Buhari in last week’s presidential election.
In a statement by his spokesman, Samuel Aruwan, el Rufai said he had no connection with the “graceless, disrespectful messages that are being falsely ascribed to him.”
According to him, some persons he did not name, regularly practiced their bigotry by posting untrue messages regarding him on social media. “They have now escalated this rascally behaviour to concocting messages and attributing them to him. This is irresponsible and most unacceptable,” the statement added.
In the message, the governor was quoted as saying: “My joy is that this election has exposed southern Nigeria and politicians from the south in APC as irrelevant, mouthy and worthless.
“They have been busted as a bunch of people who come to Aso rock to make claims and promises that they cannot fulfil. They will henceforth be seen as men with no political value, full of noise and nothing more.
“How will Osinbajo (who expects Buhari to hand over to him in 2023) explain to the north why he lost his polling unit, ward and local government area in Lagos? How will Fashola escape the query why he lost Surulere, his local government to PDP? How can Akpabio ever have the courage to look Buhari in the face again after his crash in Akwa Ibom? Can Oshiomohole still dance about after his flop in Edo? What will Abiola Ajimobi tell the cabal and Buhari now?
“All the serving ministers from the south east lost their polling units. Where dem go get mouth now? Amechi failed to deliver in Rivers state. How will he be regarded going forward? Tinubu promised to deliver south west votes in block to Buhari and the north believed him. Is it not a thing of shame that he failed and almost lost Lagos if not for some doctoring and cancellations here and there? Tinubu will never be the same again.The Minister of Foreign Affairs could only muster seven votes for Buhari in his polling unit in Enugu.
“That the governor of Imo state had to detain a returning officer and force him to delare that he is the winner of a mere senatorial election speaks volumes. What a disgrace. All the noise by southern politicians in APC to use “federal might” has eventually turned out to be mere sound and fury ,signifying nothing. The north will hold on to power for the next 12 years, in my view. Southern Nigeria is a joke”.
But discountenanceing the message, el Rufai’s spokesman observed that the governor all through his public life, had acquired a reputation for expressing himself frankly and firmly.
He adds: “His views are projected through authorised statements signed by his official spokesman, or on his verified social media platforms, where he has a strong presence. Any statement that is not from these channel should be disregarded.
“Many people will notice that since Nigerians massively renewed President Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate, those who lost the election have intensified their attempts to divide this country along ethnic, religious and regional lines. Malam El-Rufai is proud to have the honour of being part of the national coalition that built the APC, and that has twice successfully persuaded Nigerians to bestow on President Muhammadu Buhari the mandate to lead this country. These victorious endeavours have required the energy and talents of compatriots from across the country.
“Malam Nasir El-Rufai has immense respect and gratitude for the hard work and sacrifices of these persons. He is confident that APC leaders, and his friends and political associates across the country will recognise these idiotic messages on social media as the handwork of those who do not wish us well, and who are eager to set back the work we are doing for national cohesion. The leaders and members of the APC that were so rudely savaged in the concocted message would rightly ignore it as the work of detractors.
“It is unfortunate that the democratic and progressive possibilities offered by social media are being so badly distorted into a tool for division and retrogression. Nigerians should not allow those who peddle false and inciting narratives on religion and ethnicity to get away with it.
“We will continue carrying the banner of the progressive coalition that has just demonstrated that it has the enthusiastic support of Nigerians”.
