El-Rufai under fire over Tinubu, Yoruba role in PMB's victory

The controversial memo sent to President
Muhammadu Buhari by Gov Nasir el-Rufai of
Kaduna State is still generating reactions from
within and outside the ruling party.
El-Rufai had, in the leaked memo, complained
about certain things in the way the country and
the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were
being administered.
Barely 48 hours after the Kaduna governor’s
visit to the presidential villa where he took a
swipe at unnamed presidency insiders who he
alleged leaked the memo, which was written as
a private correspondence to the president,
reactions are again trailing his comment on the
contributions of the various legacy groups within
the party to its victory at the 2015 presidential
election.
In the memo, El-Rufai had posited that, “t he
Lagos group more or less led by Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu is the most organised and proactive.
This group made a key contribution in our
electoral success, but like all groupings it
naturally exaggerates its role in order to
increase its influence in the coming
administration . The group will use the media to
promote its own “GMB Boys” or suggest
“Northerners” of their choice that they think
would do their bidding.
“Some already are boasting that they will
choose the next petroleum minister and the
executive leadership of the NNPC. They will seek
direct control or great influence over key
economic portfolios, including agencies involved
in revenue generation (NNPC, FIRS, Customs,
etc.) law enforcement (Attorney General, EFCC,
etc.) and financial services regulation (CBN, SEC,
PenCom, etc.). This group will seek an alliance
with some GMB family members to help
strengthen their pre-eminent position in these
areas.”
The memo, according to sources, was written by
El-Rufai, and received by the President,
sometime in 2015, before the nomination of
ministers by President Buhari.
Consequently, many of those who spoke with
The Nation accused El-Rufai of fanning the
ember of discord with his argument.
Some prominent Nigerians including politicians,
expressed dissatisfaction with El-Rufai’s attempt
to water down the roles played by Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu and the South West in Buhari’s victory at
the polls and hoped that the Kaduna governor as
well as those commenting on his controversial
memo will not create problems for President
Buhari and the ruling APC.
Former Governor of the old Kaduna state, Alhaji
Balarabe Musa, who's also the National
Chairman of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP),
cautioned El-Rufai and his likes against causing
unnecessary friction within the ruling party.
According to him, it is very true and undeniable
to say that Asiwaju Tinubu and the South-West
won the presidency for the APC in 2015.
While admitting that the various legacy groups
played significant roles in the victory, Balarabe
insisted that Buhari could not have won the
presidency without the support of Tinubu and
his camp. He therefore warned against any
attempt by anybody to deny Tinubu his dues.
“It is undeniably true that Asiwaju Tinubu and
the South-West won the presidency for the APC
in 2015. Buhari could not have won the
presidency without the support of Tinubu and
his camp. I therefore want to say that nobody or
group within the party should attempt to deny
Tinubu his dues.
“Come to think of it, it is actually Tinubu and his
people in the South West that galvanised the
entire nation to support the candidacy of Buhari
in the last election. They led the way and others
followed. It is therefore a statement of fact that
Tinubu facilitated the eventual victory of APC
and Buhari in that election. So, I disagree with
El-Rufai’s position on that matter."
Also, PDP chieftain and former gubernatorial
candidate in Lagos State, Mrs. Remi Adiukwu,
asked El-Rufai to tell Nigerians the role he
played in the victory of both the ruling party and
President Buhari in the 2015 general election
before his statement about Tinubu can be taken
seriously.
The female politician described the Kaduna
governor as someone who is fond of seeking
attention at all times. “That is the reason why
he usually talks balderdash,” she said while
submitting that rather than contributing to
Buhari’s victory, El-Rufai merely benefited from
the political success that the likes of Tinubu
turned APC into in 2015.
“I will want El-Rufai to tell Nigerians the role he
played in the victory of his party and President
Buhari in the 2015 general election before I can
take his statement about Tinubu serious. I’ve
known the Kaduna Governor as someone who is
fond of seeking attention at all times. That is
the reason why he usually talks balderdash.
There is no way Buhari could have been
President without Tinubu or the South West
behind him.
“El-Rufai contributed nothing to Buhari’s victory
even in his home state of Kaduna. He merely
benefited from the political success that the likes
of TInubu turned APC into in 2015. Without
Buhari and the APC platform in 2015, he
wouldn’t have even contested not to talk of
winning the election. He benefited from the
politics of Asiwaju Tinubu. He is not qualified to
question Tinubu’s place in the party or
government,” Adiukwu said.
Former Lagos State Commissioner of Police,
Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, said while it is true that
all parties to the victory played one role or the
other in the presidential victory of the ruling
party, it is on record that Tinubu and his people
from the South West worked exceptionally hard
for the emergence of Buhari as President in
2015.
“All the people involved played their parts well. I
think victory should not be attributed to one
person or group. But it is important to state that
Tinubu worked hard to see Buhari win the
election. The fact that he agreed to the merger
that led to the formation of APC should give him
a lot of credit. They should give him credit. I
think El-Rufai is talking too much. He should
know better than to say such things."