El-Rufai Narrates How Southern Kaduna "Elders" Humiliated His Deputies from Their Zone
- Mallam Nasir El Rufai said his deputies, while he was governor of Kaduna state, were humiliated by elders from the southern part of the state
- El-Rufai said the late Barnabas Bala and Hadiza Balarabe were from Southern Kaduna but were humiliated by their people
- The former Kaduna state governor said Bala offered to resign from office within his first two years in office
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Ikeja, Lagos State - The immediate former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, has narrated how his deputies were humiliated by elders from the southern part of the state, who were from their zone.
Premium Times reported that El-Rufai said in his first tenure in 2015, his deputy, Barbanas Bala, a southern Kaduna Christian, was almost frustrated out of office by some unnamed southern Kaduna elders.
Source: Facebook
My deputy was almost frustrated out of office, El-Rufai says
He said Bala” was almost frustrated out of office in the first two years”.
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The former governor stated this on Saturday, July 8, while delivering a keynote address during the book launch and retirement event in honour of Ishaq Akintola, the founder of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
According to El-Ruai, his deputy, Bala was hated and called a “sellout” for coming from a minority ethnic group, Moroa, and not the Atyap, Bajju, Jaba or Kagoro.
He added that the “self-appointed, so-called Southern Kaduna Christian elders” were angry with Bala for not accepting a list of prospective deputy governor candidates.
“Nothing prepared either Bantex or I for the viciousness with which he was treated by the constituency he was meant to be represented by his presence on the governorship ticket. He offered thrice to resign from office within our first two years in office.
“Bantex therefore barely made it to the end of our first term, psychologically battered by the hostility and hobbled by a resurgence of ill-health… Bantex lost his bid to represent the Kaduna South Senatorial District in the 2019 election. We lost him a year or so later.”
E-Rufai further stated that during his second tenure in 2019, he chose a Muslim Southern Kaduna woman, Hadiza Balarabe.
He said the hostilities still didn’t cease as Hadiza is from a minority ethnic group (Gwantu) in southern Kaduna, and she is a Muslim in a predominantly Christian zone.
“For the 2019 election, my choice of running mate followed the established pattern, except in two particulars: gender and religion. Dr Hadiza Balarabe is from a minority ethnic group (Gwantu) in southern Kaduna, but she is a woman and a Muslim.
“Her choice met with the usual hostility from the same persons that had so battered and demoralised Bantex, my first deputy. But it demonstrated that not everyone who mouths diversity and inclusion is actually interested in those values.
The first woman to be elected as deputy governor from the far north of Nigeria was not seen as a pathfinder, a breakthrough for gender and a reaffirmation of the possibility of democracy to elect persons from minority and excluded groups. Only one marker of identity seemed to matter in such quarters. But the fact that Bantex had that marker – religion – had saved neither him nor I from opprobrium.”
El-Rufai finally reacts to report claiming he said President Tinubu used religion to win 2023 election
Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate former governor of Kaduna state, has denied ever saying that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu used religion to win the 2023 election.
El-Rufai said he never bothered to reply to the manufactured falsehoods because those running around with such claims had already made up their mind, no matter his explanation.
El-Rufai rates President Tinubu’s performance after 6 weeks in office
Legit.ng reported that the immediate former Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has finally rated the performance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his first six weeks in office.
El-Rufai said Tinubu’s administration has shown, since assuming office on Monday, May 29, that leadership should be based on merit and not entitlement.
“Sense of belonging to rule”: El-Rufai explains why he supported Tinubu, a south-west Muslim as President
Legit.ng also reported that the immediate former governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has disclosed why he and former Zamfara state governor, Bello Matawalle supported and worked for a South-West Muslim to emerge as the winner at the February 25 presidential election.
El-Rufai said he supported President Bola Tinubu to give Muslims from the country's South-West region a sense of belonging.
Source: Legit.ng
