• APC ignored members, gave positions to Lagos boys, el-Rufai alleges
• Kaduna ex-gov’s theatrics won’t distract Tinubu govt, says minister
Former President Muhammadu Buhari has reaffirmed his commitment to the All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that he remains a loyal member of the party that guaranteed him two terms in office.
Meanwhile, former governor of Kaduna State, Nasiru el-Rufai, said the ruling APC no longer abides by its founding principles, saying positions are given to Lagos boys, to the detriment of those who worked for the party.
But the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Ata, said the APC and President Bola Tinubu’s government would remain focused on keeping to the promises of the party, despite el-Rufai’s theatrics.
Buhari’s statement came amid the recent defection of a close ally, el-Rufai, from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Speculations also arose about other political figures leaving the ruling party.
However, in a statement, yesterday, by his media aide, Garba Shehu, the former President dismissed any doubt about his political allegiance, emphasising his dedication to the APC.
Emphasising his gratitude, he considered the opportunity to serve as Nigeria’s leader under APC as the “highest honour” and expected nothing more from the party.
IN an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, monitored by our correspondent in Kaduna, yesterday, el-Rufai said: “Everyone is working for themselves, looking for money. The government is commercialised and everything has a price tag. Justice has been kept at bay; those who worked for the party were ignored instead of being compensated. If there is any position or appointment, they give it to a Lagos boy.”
According to him, there is nothing he does without seeking the consent and advice of Buhari, adding: “The APC has derailed; it is no longer abiding by its founding principles. Everyone is working for themselves, looking for money. That is why we’ve been speaking. We said this is not the party we know. The party is dead. I said the only option is for me to meet Pastor Tunde Bakare because he dragged me into APC. He took me to Buhari. I did not join the APC because of Buhari, it was Pastor Bakare who dragged me to APC and courtesy demands I should let him know.
“I also told Buhari I was leaving the party. I sought his blessings and prayers. He gave me his blessings and prayers. We are the ones in politics, he (Buhari) is now a father of the land and has been praying for us, so what remains?”
AMID the hullabaloo, Ata said el-Rufai’s anger with the ruling party stemmed from his failure to secure a ministerial position in the Tinubu cabinet, explaining that the former governor was disqualified because he failed security screening.
According to the minister, el-Rufai’s recent attack on the Tinubu administration, including his defection to the SDP, is the “dance of a sinking politician”.
Ata said: “His tenure as the Minister of the FCT under President Olusegun Obasanjo was marked by contentious policies and an abrasive leadership style. This trend continued throughout his political journey, from his days in the opposition during the formative years of the APC to his tenure as a two-term governor of Kaduna State.
“It is, therefore, not surprising that in the present dispensation, while Tinubu remains focused on tackling the multi-faceted challenges facing Nigeria, el-Rufai has chosen to embark on yet another round of political mischief.”
