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El’Rufai echoes Tinubu’s fears that ‘powers that be’ in Aso Rock working against him (Video)

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El-Rufai

Barely 24 days to the presidential election, Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has alleged that some people in the presidency are working underground against the success of All Progressives Congress (APC) standard bearer, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

El-Rufai’s latest prognosis might not be far from truth in light of the drama generated by the recent fuel scarcity and redesign of currency by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), even in the camp of the ruling party.

Tinubu during his campaign outing in Abeokuta, Ogun State, last week had blamed the crises generated by fuel scarcity and naira policy on some undisclosed enemies whom he referred to as “the powers that be”.

The former Lagos State governor also alleged that the developments were masterminded to undermine his chances but insisted he would win at the forthcoming polls.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, El-Rufai echoed Tinubu’s concerns by alleging that some unscrupulous elements in the presidency were hiding behind President Muhammadu Buhari to work against Tinubu’s ambition.

The Kaduna governor said those elements were unhappy because their candidate didn’t win during the party’s primaries last year.

“I believe there are elements in the Villa that want us to lose the election because they didn’t get their way; they had their candidate. Their candidate did not win the primaries.

“They are working all day, trying to get us to lose the election, and they are hiding behind the president’s desire to do what he thinks is right”, El-Rufai said.

READ ALSO:El-Rufai pardons 11 inmates in Kaduna

The however also blamed the continuity of fuel subsidy on some elements with negative energies in the presidency.

He faulted the timing of the naira redesign policy, citing its political and economic consequences.

“The petroleum subsidy, which is costing the country trillions of Naira, was something that we all agreed would be removed. In fact, I had a discussion with the president and showed him why it had to go. Because how can you have a capital budget of N200 billion for federal roads and then spend N2 Trillion on petroleum subsidy?

“This was a conversation I had with the president in 2021 when the subsidy thing started rising. He was convinced. We left. It changed. Everyone in the government agreed, and it changed.

“Another instance is the Naira redesign policy. You have to understand the president. People are blaming the Governor of the Central Bank for the currency redesign, but No. You have to go back and look at the first outing of Buhari as president.

“The Buhari-Idiagbon regime changed our currency and did it in secrecy with a view to catching those that are stashing away illicit funds. It is a very good intention. The president has his right. But doing it at this time within the allotted time does not make any political or economic sense.”

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