How el-Rufai ‘demolished 2023 chances’ for Peter Obi in Northern Nigeria

*As Tinubu pushes Atiku to tight corner

By KEMI KASUMU

“If you started your campaign from Uyo and come before this audience and you said you are the only Northerner, you’ve lost the election.”

At the interactive session organised by leaders from Northern Nigeria held at separate times for selected presidential candidates of political parties in Arewa House, Kaduna, the Governor of the state, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai recollected the evils Labour Party presidential candidate, Dr. Peter Obi, did to him in the past and wondered how the Christian president advocate will feel as he comes to campaign his state now that “I am Governor of Kaduna State”.

Mallam el-Rufai, the hosting governor at the event for time of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu after whose time will be Peter Obi as guest of the Arewa leaders, while giving a closing remarks said:

“In 2013 I went to Anambra State as an official of the APC to witness the by-election for governorship. You next guest, Peter Obi, was governor. He got me arrested and detained me for 48 hours in my hotel room.

“Now, I am the Governor of Kaduna State. And he’s coming to Kaduna.”

He continued, “In addition to police and the SSS, I have One Mechanised Division Nigerian Army here, if I need to arrest and detain anyone.”

He had a short stopping that showed a sign of feeling so sorry for a today-candidate seeking to be given the all-important votes of the North and resumed.

“But we are Northerners. We are civilised. We don’t do things like that.

“I wish you all save journey back to your destinations and God bless you.”

Tinubu

Earlier in his remarks, the APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had lambasted people who he said did not understand idioms and synonyms trying to misconstrue his comments, per adventure, about Nasir el-Rufai’s administration in the past.

In his own words, Tinubu had told his Arewa House audience that “‘Turned a rotten situation to a bad one is an achievement.” Explaining further he said, “Something you gave up on, rotten beyond salvation. You said ‘Ha, ha, there is life? It’s bad? Before we came in, we thought here is forest of killers but, ever since, he has reduced that unmanageable situation to a livable environment and chased worse people. What are we looking for? Progress, to turn it from bad to good, to build on it to become from bad to good.

“That is why the first phrase in our Constitution started with ‘We the People’. We are encouraging you Nasir (el-Rufai) to keep up the good job as we being with you in prayers. Help me tell them to understand better English in colloquial manner.”

Tinubu, who was joined by his running mate Kashim Shettima he thanked for the good job he is doing giving his pre-knowledge of great job that he will be doing great more to salvage the country, then commenced his remarks at the Arewa House session attended by Governors Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Mohammed Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina), Mohammed Bello (Zamfara), Mai Mala Buni hf(Yobe), many former Governors including Adam Oshiomhole (Edo), members of the National Assembly and elder statesmen.

He said, “I begin by commending you the organizers of this auspicious event for bringing me back to Arewa House. I am not a new person here.  I have been here for several engagements like this. Now that this is time to focus on various activities you’ve done in the past, and focus on advancing the interest of this country and its people, our people, through dialogue and exchange of ideas, as I said during the time I chaired the Sardauna Memorial Lecturer last year, I had the solemn feeling of responsibility and duty to our country.

“Every time I am here, standing here evokes the memory of great leader and father of this nation.  The late Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto.

“The contribution of Sardauna of Sokoto to this nation building remains a reference point for us all. He was a visionary builder of men and institution.

“The dream of Sardauna, even though cut short, is indeed, with that of our other visionary leaders such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and our first and only Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, their dream was to …. Indivisible and prosperous nation they built on a cheer value of patriotism, equity, justice and brotherhood,” he said.

Tinubu then gave the damager to what is believed to opposition Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, who had addressed the forum earlier when he said:

“Somebody was trying to send you shot, I disagree.  If you started your campaign from Uyo and come before this audience and you said you are the only Northerner, you’ve lost the election.  It is therefore no co-incidence that, at Independence, this vision of our leaders was encapsulated well in our first national anthem.

“And I can walk through some part of it which quote “those rights and tongues may defer, in brotherhood we stand”. This is a strong statement, which acknowledges our diversity and, therefore, existence of different perspectives and interest and how that should not stand on unity and progress….”