National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has responded to comments made by former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who was a guest on ARISE News Monday night.
Ribadu declined to join issues with el-Rufai whom he alleged had been baiting him with attacks on his person. He however denied discussing presidential ambition in 2031 with anyone, saying his focus was on his current assignment.
Ribadu said, “My attention has been drawn to the interview granted by Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna State Monday evening.
“If my silence wouldn’t risk being construed as consent, I would have ignored him. I am too preoccupied with my current assignment as to get into a media fight with Nasir El-Rufai or anyone else.
“Despite the incessant baiting and attacks I have never spoken ill of Nasir on record anywhere. This is out of respect for our past association and our respective families. I will not start today,”‘ he said.
“I however urge the public to disregard El-rufai’s statements against me.
For the avoidance of doubt, I want to put it on record that I have never discussed running for president in 2031 with anybody. All my focus and energy are geared completely towards the advancement of Nigeria and the success of the President Tinubu administration.
“I therefore ask Nasir El-Rufai to allow me face my onerous national assignment just as I do not bother myself with his own affairs,” Ribadu concluded.
Meanwhile, an author and a strong defender of the Tinubu administration, Reno Omokri, has responded to el-Rufai, accusing him of lying about his ministerial nomination and eventual rejection.
“During the Senate confirmation process, the National Assembly requested security clearance from both national and international security and intelligence agencies, and it was discovered that Nasir el-Rufai failed his security screening woefully.
“He was considered a diplomatic liability to Nigeria because, on Thursday, February 7, 2019, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai threatened European Union observers with death if they intervened in Nigeria’s impending presidential elections, which were to take place on Saturday, February 16, 2019,” Omokri stated.
Omokri stressed that so strongly did the European Union view this threat that they wrote officially to the Government of Nigeria to protest and issued a public statement censuring Nigeria.
“Malam Nasir el-Rufai was also fingered as a major contributor to the genocide of Southern Kaduna Christians after he admitted on multiple occasions to paying killer herdsmen while he was governor.
“Thirdly, Nasir el-Rufai’s government was indicted in the Zaria Shiite Massacre of Saturday, December 12, 2015, where 438 Shiite men, women, children and infants were slaughtered in one of Africa’s worst human rights violations.
“Additionally, Mr. el-Rufai was specifically cited for demolishing the homes of his political opponents in Kaduna. For example, he demolished the home of Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi and Inuwa Abdulkadir, the then North-west Zonal Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, who was an ally of Nasir el-Rufai’s political foe, Senator Shehu Sani.
“Then, there is the demolition of another critic’s home under the guise that the house hosted a sex party. It was later established that the so-called sex party was a prank, and the prankster was not even the owner of the building. Yet, the el-Rufai regime destroyed Aisha Yakubu’s home,” Omokri pointed out.
Finally, Omokri said that el-Rufai’s reckless utterances against Christians, whereby on Saturday, January 27, 2013, he insulted Jesus Christ, and on Friday, January 18, 2019, when he said, ‘Even if I bring the Pope, Christians will never vote for me’, worked against him.
“For these and other reasons, Malam Nasir el-Rufai failed his security clearance and could not be cleared by the Senate of the National Assembly. He has himself to blame for this, not the President or the NSA.
“Nigerians may recall that el-Rufai was not the only ministerial nominee who was refused clearance. Nasir el-Rufai and two others, including Danladi Sani, the Taraba state nominee, and Stella Okotete of Delta state, were rejected because security agencies refused to clear them.
“None of the others has blamed the duo of the president or his NSA. None. Except el-Rufai. Thereafter, Nasir el-Rufai withdrew his nomination and named his former Commissioner for Local Government, Jafaru Sani, as his replacement.
“The fact remains that Nasir el-Rufai is bitter that his desire to be a minister was scuttled, and in his bitterness, he is attacking those who are bringing betterment to Nigeria,” Omokri argued.
