By Ifeanyi Maduako
That Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State dreads the likelihood of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winning the February 25 presidential election is quite understandable to every discerning mind. Except under this present government where he has been the governor of Kaduna State since 2015 Malam el-Rufai is not usually enamored or inebriated by a northerner heading the presidency of Nigeria, particularly since 1999.
Prior to the 2007 general elections, el-Rufai was widely reported to say that the then General Muhammadu Buhari, who was the presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) was unelectable. Late President Umaru Musa Ya’Adua was the presidential candidate of the PDP. El-Rufai was one of the most powerful figures in the kitchen cabinet of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Of course, it would be recalled that Yar’Adua was not the choice of el-Rufai to succeed President Obasanjo. If el-Rufai and some other power brokers at the time had their way, Yar’Adua wouldn’t have succeeded Obasanjo. Therefore, when Yar’Adua was eventually elected as the president of Nigeria, el-Rufai had no option but to cleverly embark on self-exile in the guise of acquiring more western education. When Yar’Adua unfortunately died in office on May 5, 2010, el-Rufai abandoned the so-called academic pursuit abroad and returned to Nigeria the very same week.
Reliable sources among power brokers in the country revealed that el-Rufai actually lobbied to be the vice president to President Goodluck Jonathan following the demise of President Yar’Adua. When Jonathan eventually chose the then Governor Namadi Sambo as his vice president, and rightly so, el-Rufai vowed to be a thorn in the flesh of President Jonathan for not considering him for the number two position in the country.
Those close to him said that he was incandescent with rage against Jonathan for picking a sitting governor as his preferred vice president when those of them who apparently railroaded or rigged Yar’Adua/Jonathan ticket into office had been without jobs or political positions since Yar’Adua took over power.
El-Rufai preferred to go on self-exile during Yar’Adua’s administration because he knew that the sentiments of religion and region which he deployed during Jonathan’s time wouldn’t have saved him if he had decided to challenge the policies and government of President Yar’Adua. He knew that Yar’Adua being a fellow northerner and Muslim wouldn’t have drawn the wrath of the entire north if he had decided to tame the rascality of el-Rufai. El-Rufai dreads the impending presidency of Atiku Abubakar because he knows that just like Yar’Adua, Atiku will not tolerate his brazen rascality against his government.
At this juncture, it suffices to fall back to history and bring to the fore what roles Atiku played bringing el-Rufai to national limelight. El-Rufai got his first political appointment under President Obasanjo as the director-general of the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) on the recommendation of Atiku. His seemingly brilliant performance with the position fetched him a higher appointment as the minister of the Federal Capital Territory in 2003. Without Atiku’s recommendation which was fortuitous, Obasanjo may not have known or discovered el-Rufai.
The invectives el-Rufai poured on Atiku from 2003 to 2007, particularly during the Obasanjo/Atiku political disagreement still remain indelible. El-Rufai has continually run down Atiku ever since. Perhaps his past relationship or betrayal of Atiku is the major reason why he’s mortally afraid of Atiku’s presidency. Speculations are rife that if Atiku wins the presidency come February 25, el-Rufai may embark on another self-imposed exile in the guise of acquiring higher education. However, he needs not to be afraid of anything for Atiku is not contesting the presidency to avenge whatever misgivings he might have with el-Rufai and his ilk.
Against this background, el-Rufai’s recent outings where he literally accused the presidency of working against the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Ahmed Tinubu, did not come as a surprise to keen political pundits. He has read the writing on the wall and realises that the north can never abandon or reject Atiku in preference to Tinubu in the name of party politics. If el-Rufai forgot history, he should be reminded that whenever a presidential election involved a strong northern contender for the presidency, the north would always support their own in the spirit of Naka Sai Naka.
It happened in the first and second republics. The 1993 scenario where the north voted for Chief M.K.O Abiola instead of Bashir Othman Tofa is quite different from the reality today because nobody can compare Tofa with Atiku in all ramifications. In any case, Abiola towered far above Tinubu in education, younger age, national appeal and acceptability, credibility and much more when he contested the presidency. Tinubu no be Abiola. Atiku no be Tofa.
Before the presidential primary of the APC, el-Rufai was reported to have said that he sought the consent of President Buhari on several occasions on which of the presidential aspirants to support. And on each occasion, President Buhari had repeatedly told him to vote for whoever was his preferred candidate according to his own statement. President Buhari could have manipulated the presidential primary election if he had wanted, but he allowed a level playing field which culminated in a free, fair and credible presidential primary.
So, does el-Rufai want to change the president now? Does he want to bend the president to do what’s not right during the general election? Since the president ensured a free and fair primary election in the APC, shouldn’t that be applied in the general election? The only legacy left for Buhari now is to ensure a free, fair and credible elections and the likes of el-Rufai should not be allowed to manipulate him for their own selfish interests.
READ ALSO: Lagos Rally Attack: Labour Party Members Vow To Arm Selves
