For first time, Akeredolu, el-Rufai clash publicly

Since 2016 when their romance sizzled and they took down APC leader Bola Tinubu a peg, Govs  Rotimi Akeredolu and Nasir El-Rufai have never disagreed openly.

Now they have reason to not just differ, but to also spit out invectives at each other thanks to the anti-open grazing law the southern governors are signing into law.

The Kaduna governor mocked the 17 southern governors and their anti-grazing law, saying they are aware the law is not implementable.

Akeredolu, the chairman of the southern governors’ forum, then responded, with sharper barbs.

“From all indications, Governor Nasir el-Rufai, if he was properly quoted and his views not misrepresented, is struggling hard to export banditry to the South under an expressed opinion that is laced with mischief,” a statement by Akeredolu, through his Commissioner Donald Ojogo, stated.

“Perhaps, it is apt to state clearly that the likes of Governor El-Rufai are already in a hysteric ‘mode’ of escalating and indeed, externalising banditry, especially as the military onslaught against criminal elements and other terror variants suffices in the North.”

Akeredolu insisted the law has come to stay.

Many of the northern governors, including Katsina’s, Nasarawa’s and others’ have expressed their displeasure in the law.

Kano Gov Umar Ganduje is the only one not particularly miffed by his southern counterparts.