- Safiu Kehinde
Former Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwalla, have engaged in war of words over the latter’s criticism of the All Progressive Congress (APC) administration.
Bwalla had, in a post on his X handle yesterday, expressed disappointment in El-Rufai’s support of the allegations laid against the APC by the 2023 Presidential candidate People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, at a national conference held in Abuja.
He accused El-Rufai of plot to unseat the APC with his remark against against the party which he participated in its formation.
Bwalla said that El-Rufai would not have made such remake he were to be part of the cabinet.
“My Senior brother, if you were to be in the government and cabinet, would you have held and expressed the same position? History is replete with examples. It is a government you participated in its formation, that you now want to unseat. Haba Mallam, a Ji soron Allah mana” the President’s spokesperson had written.
Reacting in a post on X handle on Thursday, El-Rufai held that he never wanted to be part of Tinubu’s cabinet.
He stated that he would have made same remark against the party if he were to be part of the cabinet.
“I was cabinet minster 22 years ago, and was clear to Asiwaju that I was not interested in any position in his future government. The pathetic manner all of you latter-day converts to the Tinubu government make an issue of something that I never wanted in the first place is perhaps a reflection of the level of your moral flexibility.
“If I had remained in the Tinubu government, I will say or do the same on the tragedy within a party I was a founder, and the government that emerged from it – first in private sessions with those concerned, and then go public if no remedial actions are taken. Go and check my public service record from 1998.” El-Rufai wrote.
He claimed to have responded Bwala as he considered him a decent person.
“I am only responding to you because I still think you are a decent person who may need a job, and not in the class of Wendell Simlin and that Kaduna pretender that our voters retired in 2019 – these clowns are political mercenaries that receive humongous monthly stipends from the security vote to be the first to jump on X and other platforms to defend everything the Asiwaju government does or fails to do, no matter how indefensible it may be.” He added.
Reacting in a separate post on his X handle, Bwalla admitted his respect for El-Rufai, describing him as one of the brightest from the Northern extraction.
He, however, alleged that the ex-Kaduna governor’s statement and actions are borne out of vengeance and not patriotism.
“Still my senior brother @elrufai , I am sure you don’t need anyone to tell you about my respect and admiration for you, not just for your brilliance , but also as one of the brightest we have from the northern extraction. I am not stating it for the first time today and you know that.
“My worry however is the motive behind your statements and actions; they are not borne out of patriotism, but need for vengeance. The opposition see that singular element of vengeance as a veritable tool for your recruitment.” Bwalla wrote.
The President’s media aide further dismissed El-Rufai’s insinuation that he is a latter-day supporter of Tinubu.
He recounted being part of the alliance that created the APC alongside El-Rufai.
Bwalla urged him to come back and resolve his grievances with the party.
“With respect, I am not a latter day Asiwaju supporter. We both played our roles in his emergence as candidate of the party ahead of 2023 elections. And before then, whilst you were from the CPC extraction of APC, I was from the ACN, which explains why I worked with Comrade Oshiomhole when he chaired the party amongst other things to protect the interest of Asiwaju whom at the time you people vowed to retire from politics.
“I still think you don’t need all these melodramatic activities or a vengeance mission. Come back and resolve whatever you think is your grievances like a dignified man that you are.
“Our party APC as of today remains the only organized party with identifiable structures across the country. So if you are looking for any symbol of democracy, it is still in your party.
“Please senior, come home; you have toiled all nights.” Bwalla added.