. He is only frustrated; not thinking of dumping APC yet — Presidency
.As party chairman says there’s no vacancy for any northern candidate in 2027
.Party canvasses support for Tinubu’s 2nd term, describes him as great reformer, visionary leader
Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has raised concerns over the possibility of his arrest and detention.
El-Rufai claimed to have heard rumors about his potential arrest but stated that he has no intention of going into exile.
In a post on X on Tuesday, the former governor said his adversaries are allegedly trying to force him out of the country.
He disclosed this while responding to a user and staunch supporter, Imran Wakili, regarding the alleged plot to arrest and detain him.
El-Rufai, who is currently in Egypt, said he plans to return to Nigeria before February 20.
“I will spend more time in Nigeria than ever before,” El-Rufai wrote.
“They have sent similar messages of intimidation and threats through many of my friends, family, and political associates because they want me to go on self-imposed exile.
“I have now put all my previous academic and language-learning plans on hold. Silence is no longer golden. Inaction has never been an option.
“The arrest, detention, and torture of perceived political enemies are nothing new in human affairs. I have been arrested and detained thrice in the past for expressing my views about previous governments.
“There is always a morning after the arrest or detention or torture, and political life continues. As for death, it is when Allah destines it, and it is ultimately the date of every human.
“For the attention of the pathetic characters that don’t sleep well whenever I am in Nigeria, take notice that I intend to return in time for the launch of Pres IBB’s memoirs, in sha Allah, scheduled for 20th February.
“We depend on no one but Allah. We fear no mortal but Almighty Allah. We always hope for the best but plan for the worst.”
El-Rufai is currently involved in a face-off with supporters of President Bola Tinubu and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He recently accused the APC of lacking internal democracy, citing the fact that the party’s organs have not met in the past two years.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has dismissed speculations that former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai is positioning himself against the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that his recent criticisms of President Bola Tinubu are merely expressions of frustration.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy, Daniel Bwala made ths assertion while speaking on Arise TV’s ‘The Morning Show’ on Tuesday.
El-Rufai, once a strong Tinubu supporter, has accused the president of derailing from the APC’s campaign promises, claiming the party is now unrecognizable.
His remarks, coupled with meetings with opposition leaders, have fueled speculation that he may leave the ruling party.
However, Bwala refuted this, asserting that El-Rufai’s remarks should not be mistaken for opposition politics.
“Most of what Nasir El-Rufai kept talking about, I do not consider them as part of opposition politics because he is not in the opposition,” Bwala stated.
However, the embattled ex-governor said he would not opt for exile despite the many rumours that he might be arrested and tortured by Tinubu administration.
El-Rufai, in a response to a post by an X user Imran Wakili on the alleged plot to arrest him, said he would return to Nigeria from Egypt before February 20, 2025.
He said, “I have been hearing these same rumours of arrest, detention and torture in some dungeon in the NSA’s office (where Emefiele was allegedly tortured to resign as CBN governor), since July 2024 when the so-called report of the Kaduna Assembly began circulating.
“They freaked out when we challenged the legality of the premeditated defamation and went to every length to compromise the judicial process, and this is continuing at the Court of Appeal.
“They have sent such similar messages of intimidation and threats through many of my friends, family and political associates because they want me to go on self-imposed exile. I will not.
“I have now put all my previous academic and language-learning plans on hold and will spend more time in Nigeria than ever before. Silence is no longer golden. Inaction has never been an option.
“The arrest, detention and torture of perceived political enemies are nothing new in human affairs. I have been arrested and detained thrice in the past for expressing my views of previous governments.
“There is always a morning after the arrest or detention or torture, and political life continues. As for death, it is when Allah destines it, and it is ultimately the date of every human.
“For the attention of the pathetic characters that don’t sleep well whenever I am in Nigeria, take notice that I intend to return in time for the launch of Pres IBB’s memoirs, in sha Allah, scheduled for 20th February.
“We depend on no one but Allah. We fear no mortal but Almighty Allah. We always hope for the best but plan for the worst.”
.As party chairman says there’s no vacancy for any northern candidate in 2027
Also, The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdulahi Umar Ganduje has advised northerners who are fervently advocating for the return of the presidency to the north in 2027 to stop chasing shadows because President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will complete eight years in office.
Ganduje said emphatically that agitations for a northern president in 2027 was a dead project and he clarified that the party believes firmly in the principles of zoning and would do anything necessary to defend the system, which the party has religiously followed in the interest of equity and fair play.
The national chairman, who made the remarks at the APC National Secretariat on Tuesday while hosting members of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Team, recalled that a northerner (Mohammadu Buhari) ruled the nation for eight years and Arewa agitators did not cry fowl or ask that he step down for a southerner.
He hinted that the APC will soon setup a high powered media center to check the wave of damaging propaganda from members of the opposition groups.
“Any leader should expect criticism at all times, whether constructive or negative but at the same time, we must have our own media outfit that will be able to respond adequately to unwarranted attacks on government.”
Ganduje commended the group for responding to critics who have continued to manipulate our differences in religion, ethnicity and tribe to divide the people of the nation, pointing out that those who insist on towing divisive lines will fail woefully.
On efforts by some groups of northerners to return the presidency to the north, Ganduje said: “Anybody who thinks he can use religion, tribalism or sectionalism to divide the country is banking on a wrong cause.
“Anybody who is dreaming that in 2027, the presidency will return to the north, I think that dream is dead on arrival because President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will complete his eight years in office,” Ganduje declared.
He also assured the group that their request for collaboration with the APC leadership and inclusion into the publicity projects of the party would be looked into.
Earlier, the leader of the group, Comrade Segun Dada said the media team was at the APC National Secretariat to show solidarity to the leadership of the party for its recent successes in off-season elections and to solicit for collaboration especially in defending the programmes and policies of the federal administration against critics who, he said, are currently waging vehement social media war against the government.
.Party canvasses support for Tinubu’s 2nd term, describes him as great reformer, visionary leader
However, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has provided clear reasons why Nigerians should cast their votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 for a second term in office rather than yielding to opposition politicians who are eager to unseat him.
Speaking at a reception for members of Tinubu Young Generation Forum at the APC National Secretariat on Tuesday, the National Chairman, Dr. Abdulahi Umar Ganduje said politics aside, even critics of the administration will agree that “Our president is doing very well.
He is a reformer, he is a visionary leader, he is focused and we are happy with his reforms because his reforms are absolutely necessary for the social economic development of this country.
“There is no doubt so many things went wrong over a long period of time (in the country) and it requires proper surgery before we can get it right.
But we are happy that we have started seeing the outcome of the reforms, especially in the economic side and we believe this will continue to yield positive results so that the legacy and the Renewed Hope Agenda will be achieved,” he said.
Ganduje thanked the group for the visit and the encouraging words of its members to the leadership of the party adding: “First of all, we are very grateful to you for finding it important to pay this courtesy call to re-present yourself because earlier on you presented yourself when I was appointed as one of the patrons of this great organization.
“There is no doubt this is a viable support group of which during the electioneering campaign, we had thousands of support groups. But now we have only a few who are consistent, who have increased their tempo despite what they did for us during the election.
“Now some have developed new blueprints in order to sustain the activities of the group, especially you being a younger generation, you are dealing with young people, men and women. So, we are highly impressed with your activities and we believe that is what it should be.
“This Young Generation Forum, I assure you, the way you are moving, you are really creating a niche for yourself. You are creating an identity for yourself and I believe you will emerge as a national outfit,” he stated.
In a related development, the APC national chairman has assured the party’s support groups that the APC will readily assist those that come up with useful programmes that will move the party forward.
Ganduje, who made this remark while receiving another group known as Tinubu Northern Youth Forum at the APC National Secretariat on Tuesday promised to provide the association with all the assistance that it needs to further it’s public enlightenment programme designed to educate the people on the new tax reform bill.
“This tax reform agenda, initially it was misunderstood, but in the course of time there was a lot of public engagement. I think people have come to understand the whole purpose of the tax reform.
And we are happy that members of the National Assembly too are now fully conversant with the policy and they are ready to do the needful. So we thank you.”
Ganduje remarked that if “support organizations like the Tinubu Northern Youth Forum, whenever there is an agenda by the Federal Government, if such support groups will come in to assist, then it should form public enlightenment and inclusiveness in the running of the government. So, we thank you. We have seen your plan in order to mobilize voters in respect of the 2027 election.
“This is very, very encouraging. I have to congratulate you for this. And also, you know, our president is for the north, our president is for the south, our president is for the six geopolitical zones.
And we have been receiving support groups from all the six geopolitical zones. And we are happy that our party believes in zoning.
When a leader from the northern part of this country was in office for eight years, we advocated that the next president in our party should come from the south. Luckily, we worked very hard with the cooperation of Nigerians.
Our president has come from the south and is going, insha-Allah, for second term in 2027. And then after that, it will be returned to the northern part of the country.
“So, with this northern youth forum, I believe we are on the right course and we encourage you to continue working on that.
We will study your documents and we shall see areas of cooperation,” Ganduje assured.
