By: Dr. UCHE DIALA– ON MALLAM NASIR EL-RUFAI
For starters, no matter how educated any person may be, anyone who has ever held or still holds the view that Mallam Nasir El-Rufai is angry because of a ministerial appointment, is at best an educated illiterate.
As a matter of fact, this whole show of shame reveals a very deep, sinister, mischievous and ungodly part of some people, and we will keep highlighting it until they repent.
As much as they try to muddle things up and make it look like normal political talk, the depth of their treachery and wickedness is too deep and glaring to be concealed.
Come with me …
Mallam El-rufai was nominated for a ministerial position which we all know he neither aspired nor requested for, even though, more than any one else, he earned the right to first refusal, based on facts we all, including the ostriches, know.
For some reason, which to date, most of us, including those parroting all kinds of funny reasons, do not know for a fact, because the President has not told us, Mallam El-rufai was not cleared by the majority APC Akpabio-led Senate in an APC administration.
El-rufai never said a single word nor has he granted a single interview on that ministerial nomination matter. He simply moved on as a private citizen that he now is, but apparently some people were not satisfied with that.
None of these individuals who claim to love the President more than his biological family pushed to ask questions about the treatment meted to the same El-rufai’s that they hailed just yesterday, albeit insincerely, as it now appears.
They pretended like they nothing happened, but to show how treacherous they are, as soon as El-rufai made some innocuous submissions as a co-panelist on an intellectual discussion Panel, they left every germaine and critical thing he said and went for his jugular.
They went to the extent of manufacturing and deliberately twisting what he said out of context, just to create an impression that El-rufai attacked and went against the President first and to create an enemy for the President where non existed.
A classic exemplification of the Igbo adage that says; ‘the millipede whose head was crushed didn’t cry but the person who crushed its head is crying’.
They then manufactured a reason that it was because El-rufai was angry because of appointment. An appointment that the man neither sought nor desired in the first place.
Well, No!
First, Mallam El-rufai did not attack the President at that discussion session which centred on political parties in Nigeria.
Two, I can not remember anywhere or time, since the 2023 election at least and even up to recent days, that Mallam El-rufai has attacked the President.
Yet, these individuals have doubled down in attacking and insulting one of our very best, and they think that is the way to support the President.
Unfortunately, they touched someone who embodies and belongs to the intellectual wings of the APC family.
A man with such class and finesse (which is rare in today’s Nigerian politics) that could probably only be matched by a few in APC today, like HE Professor Yemi Osinbajo, HE Babatunde Raji Fashola, HE Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, HE Kayode Fayemi, and HE Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, to mention a few.
To that extent, any unjustified attack on and disrespect to Mallam Nasir El-Rufai will not be overlooked. It will continue to recieve fierce pushback and resistance from intellectual and civilised elements of the APC family. So long as the perpetrators do not stop, we will not back down.
In closing, I maintain that I will continue to give President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu the benefit of the doubt that he neither knows about nor does he endorse the treatment being meted to Mallam El-rufai, but sooner than later, he will need to come clean on where he stands on that. He is our Leader and the Boss.
For the time being, the political rabble rousers and anti-intellectual vuvuzelas can continue with their ghaghagha. They can equally turn this post to an attack of the President. It does not matter.
I only hope that they understand that there are always consequences and a price to pay for political ghaghagha and “iberiberism” (apologies to HE Owelle Senator Rochas Okorocha).
God Bless Nigeria.
