El-Rufai attacks Atiku over claims of financial support to Buhari in 2015

Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has lambasted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for claiming that he was abandoned by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration despite his financial support to the president’s campaign in 2015.

Recall that Atiku who recently dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and returned to his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had given the treatment meted out to him by Buhari’s administration as the reason for his action.

But El-Rufai who featured along Atiku on a Voice of America (VOA) Hausa service programme entitled, “Democracy Today” lambasted Atiku for claiming he supported Buhari, challenging him to name who he gave the money he supported Buhari with.

El-Rufai said, “We in the APC were aware of it long ago that Atiku was going to leave the APC back to the PDP in December; but we even thank God that he left in November.

“Atiku had seen that we in the APC, especially the APC governors, had made up our mind to support President Muhammadu Buhari to run again in 2019. That is why he left APC since he was only looking for where to contest for president.”

“Even in the 2015 APC primary election, Atiku didn’t come second; he was floored by Kwankwaso. So, even if President Buhari decides not to contest, Atiku knows that the APC ticket is not sure for him. Majority of the APC governors have endorsed President Buhari as our candidate for 2019.

“And God has continued to improve the health condition of the President. Each time I see him, I thank God and I still pray that God continues to give him sound health.

“So, by 2019, we are waiting to see Atiku contest; we are waiting to contest against him and see what happens. I cannot lose sleep because Atiku wants to contest, because, by God’s grace, this is the reign of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“It is agreed that in politics if you lose even only one person, it should worry you, but the utterances of the former Vice President that APC used his money; who did he give the money to? For me, I know those that supported us with their money and property that we used during election, and I never heard the name of Atiku that he brought a dime. If Atiku said he brought money, who did he give it to? Let him come and say it and how much did he give and what was it used for?

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“And, in fact, if Atiku brought money, I ought to know, because I was part of the leadership of the party and during campaign, along with former Governor Rotimi Amaechi. We were at the centre of the presidential campaign. Therefore, we are supposed to know. So, let him mention who he gave the money and how much?”

Also featured on the programme was the former governor of Jigawa State, Mr. Lamido. He expressed joy that Atiku has returned to the PDP and called on others like Senate President Bukola Saraki, as well as former governors to do same.

He said, “Obviously we are happy that our former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has come back to PDP. It was PDP that made him; so his coming back to his party is our collective joy. We are not talking about him only; as a matter of fact, we want others who left the party like the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, as well as former governors to come back home.

“If our interest is to see the progress and development of our dear country, Nigeria, then we should also pray that everyone who left PDP should return home.”

But in a swift reaction to el’Rufai’s assertions, the National Chairman of Atiku Care Foundation, Ambassador Aliyu Ibn Abbas expressed shock at the governor’s statement, in which he said former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar did not make financial contributions to Buhari campaign purse.

In a statement signed by his spokesman, Jacob Onjewu Dickson, Ambassador Abbas described el-Rufai as an ingrate, who still believes he would use Buhari to gain sympathy in 2019.

“I am not utterly surprised about the vituperations from Kaduna State Governor. His comments make me to support the call from the Emir of Kano that governors should be subjected to drug tests.

“I was in Atiku’s campaign team in 2015 and the build up to the electioneering campaign and privileged to be behind the transfer of funds for the campaign.

“Waziri Adamawa though prefers to be silent on his contributions and good deeds to individuals and groups, I am aware of funds spent on President Buhari’s electioneering,” he said.

He further cited the comments from the President, when he told the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman that he had lost a very important chieftain when Atiku resigned from the party.

On el-Rufai’s comments that only greedy people will decamp with Atiku, Abbas said that the governor should wake up from his slumber and face reality.

“He knows he has lost grip in his state, where the so many unemployed people are swelling up criminal activities, owing to the number of people his bad policies have affected their economic fortunes.

“Where was el-Rufai before Atiku introduced him to Obasanjo. He needs a sober reflection to come back to terms with his conscience,” he said.

He called on Nigerians in general and those resident in Kaduna in particular to liberate themselves from the shackles of el-Rufai by voting wisely.

 

 

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