Lagos APC, Yoruba youths chide El-Rufai over comment on Lagos godfatherism

Following the statement made by Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai on how to end godfatherism in Lagos, Yoruba council of youths worldwide has lambasted him, telling him to resolve the insecurity challenge ravaging his state.

The Yoruba youth group said the statement made by Kaduna state governor is nothing but an “abysmal insult” to the Yoruba nation, saying that he lacked the credibility to utter such a statement.

Also, the Lagos state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) in its reaction has told Governor El-Rufai that Kaduna State is not Lagos State where he retired four godfathers from politics

Speaking with journalists in Lagos State on Tuesday, the council’s president, Aremo Oladotun Hassan cautioned El-Rufai to desist from acts that could earn him disgrace from the Yoruba nation.

He challenged the Governor, who claimed to have ended godfatherism in his state, to flaunt his achievement in his state since he has become the state governor, warning that the youths in the South West would not welcome any attempt by anyone to disrespect political leaders in the region.

Hassan however, advised El-Rufai to focus on ending insecurity and abject poverty ravaging his state and region.

He added that a governor with such a challenge in Kaduna state cannot “come to the megacity, the Centre of Excellence and the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria and Africa’s emerging economic hub to claim he wants to end godfatherism”.

His words; “Even as he claimed that he had ended Godfatherism in Kaduna, we are yet to see the benefits of his political victory in the lives of the people of Kaduna and the development of the state, unlike Lagos where our progressive leader of leaders have great successes to show.

“Our so-called ‘Godfatherism’ system helped in sustaining the struggle against opposition in Nigeria and led to the building of the strong political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), that made it possible for the enthronement of President Muhammadu Buhari, which also helped the same el-Rufai become the Kaduna State Governor.

“Our so-called ‘Godfatherism’ helped sustain Lagos as the commercial hub of Nigeria and the fifth largest economy in Africa.

“Our so-called ‘Godfatherism’ has produced some of the best brains, who are currently an integral part of Nigeria’s political base and socio-economic development today, thriving in all sectors of the economy, with succinct track records of excellence and landmarks achievements in the country.

“Our so-called ‘Godfatherism’ has put Lagos as the most viable self-sustaining state in Nigeria today.

“Our so-called ‘Godfatherism’ has made Lagos among states with the best infrastructure in Africa, leaving no stone unturned towards achieving greater heights as one of the world’s leading economies.

“Governor el-Rufai is renowned for being too overzealous for power. He is a harbinger of crises. Hence, his previous contemptuous stands on issues of national development, being override with his penchant for ethnic bigotry and indiscriminate devaluation of humanity. We condemned his crocodile tears in its entirety.

“Nigerians still kept fresh in their memories the hate speech and treasonable felonious statements credited to Governor el-Rufai on threats of mass genocide and killings in body bags he issued to international observers during the last 2019 election, a repetition of what is happening in Southern Kaduna, which almost caused the nation a huge embarrassment and a disaster, if not for our intervention as future heirs of Nigeria.

“Going back to memory lane, we cannot forget in a hurry the double jeopardy situation, where some traitors in Yoruba land collaborated with some hegemonic structures to betray the late sage of great memory, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and we will never allow history to repeat itself.

Read also: EFCC investigation on me, a needless political witch hunt —Saraki

On his part, Publicity Secretary of the APC in Lagos, Mr Joe Igbokwe, said anyone who wanted to achieve Tinubu’s status in Nigerian politics must work hard and do less talking.
Igbokwe in a statement on Tuesday, maintained that “He was making reference to Asiwaju Tinubu. The person that threw up the question is Muiz Banire, and you know the relationship between Banire and Asiwaju. But Lagos is not Kaduna.

“They want to be like Asiwaju, they want to command respect, they want the world to accept them the way they have accepted Asiwaju, they want to get great followers like Asiwaju BAT, they want to be admired the way people admire Asiwaju, they want the people to love them the way they love Asiwaju, they want to stand tall anywhere they go like Asiwaju, they want to attract attention like Asiwaju, they want to be celebrated and honored like Asiwaju, they want to be worshiped the way Asiwaju’s great followers worship him, they want to be lifted up the way God has lifted Asiwaju up, they want to be noticed like Asiwaju, they want to stand out like Asiwaju and they want to influence decisions at all levels like Asiwaju, etc.

“But in actions and deeds they are not like Asiwaju. In character and in tolerance they are not like Asiwaju. In commitment and hard work they are not like BAT.

“In grace and empathy, they are not like BAT. In temperament and love for humanity, they are not like Asiwaju. They cannot surrender their home to the people the way BAT has been doing. They cannot fight for others the way BAT does.

“They cannot deny themselves freedom for the sake of others the way BAT does. They cannot stand for the ordinary people the way Asiwaju does. They cannot be trusted the way we trust BAT.

“They cannot give the way BAT does. They cannot sacrifice what BAT has sacrificed for humanity for close to 40 years. They cannot live for others the way the way Asiwaju has done for years. I can go on and on but he who must lead others must first lead himself.”

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