El-Rufai opens up on APC crisis

KADUNA State governor Nasir El-Rufai has blamed the crisis in the All Progressives Congress Party (APC) on the chairman of the party’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) Yobe State governor Mai Mala Buni.

Speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Wednesday, El-Rufai alleged that Buni plotted to stop the APC national convention through a court injunction.

Shedding light on the crisis in the ruling party, El-Rufai said the discovery of Buni’s alleged plan to abort the national convention informed President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to authorise Niger State governor Abdullahi Bello to take up the reins as the party’s interim chairman.

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He said, “We got to know of a court order last year. It was obtained in November. A member of the party went to court to say there must not be a convention until his case against the party is disposed of, which can take months or years, and the lawyers of Buni went to court and agreed with the person, and nobody knew about this order.

“It was a hidden nuclear weapon to destroy the convention which further made us believe that there are fifth columnists in the party that want to bring this party down because if we don’t have (convention) and we go ahead with the primaries, we might likely have our candidates lose all their seats as the case in Zamfara.

“We reported to the president (Buhari) that no action had been taken on the order. He said the Niger State governor must take over on Monday, and we should use whatever legal means necessary to make sure that the convention is delivered.

“Bello has the President’s full backing and the backing of at least 19 of the 23 progressive governors and deputy governors.”

El-Rufai dismissed speculations that he will contest alongside Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi in the 2023 presidential election.

However, he said he will only run for election in 2023 if Buhari advises him to contest.

“I have said over and over, but I guess the trust in politicians is very low, so nobody believes me. I have said over and over that I am not a contestant for any office; I am not an aspirant for anything.

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“Rotimi Amaechi is interested in running for president, he has the right to do so but I am not running for anything, and I am not going to be on his ticket.”