2027: El-Rufai betrayed us – Ex-Chief of Staff

A former Chief of Staff to ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Bashir Sa’idu, has accused his former principal of political betrayal, insisting that he and different political allies have been instrumental to Mr El-Rufai’s emergence as governor in 2015 and his re-election in 2019.

Mr Sa’idu’s feedback come amid a rift between the previous governor and a number of other associates, some of whom have deserted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and returned to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) forward of the 2027 common elections.

The former allies embrace Mr Sa’idu and Ja’afaru Sani, a former commissioner in Mr El-Rufai’s administration who misplaced within the ADC governorship main to Isah Ashiru.

The dispute over the ADC governorship ticket seems to have been a significant turning level of their relationship with Mr El-Rufai, as they believed he supported Mr Ashiru over Mr Sani.

Mr Sa’idu made the allegations throughout an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI), rejecting ideas that Mr El-Rufai single-handedly constructed the political careers of those that later fell out with him.

“Mr El-Rufai is not a politician. When he came to Kaduna in 2014 to contest the governorship, he approached us. We had our political structures, and Suleiman Hunkuyi and I worked tirelessly to ensure his victory in that election,” Mr Sa’idu mentioned.

“We were the reason he succeeded.”

Mr Sa’idu maintained that the political buildings he and his associates established helped Mr El-Rufai win the governorship elections in 2015 and 2019.

ADC governorship ticket deepens rift

The disagreement between Mr El-Rufai and his former allies intensified following the ADC governorship main.

Mr Ashiru secured 86,113 votes, whereas Mr Sani, a former commissioner for training underneath Mr El-Rufai, polled 29,580 votes to complete second.

Mr Sani rejected the end result, alleging irregularities within the train.

Mr Sa’idu and his associates reportedly turned dissatisfied with what they perceived as Mr El-Rufai’s help for Mr Ashiru, which they interpreted as a departure from their political pursuits.

The former allies additionally accused Mr El-Rufai’s household and a small circle of associates of exerting extreme affect over the ADC’s affairs and candidate choice.

In the RFI interview, Mr Sa’idu argued that Mr Sani ought to have acquired the ADC governorship ticket, suggesting that the dealing with of the competition demonstrated that Mr El-Rufai was not prepared to accommodate his former allies.

Mr Sa’idu additionally alleged that Mr El-Rufai had surrounded himself with youthful associates whereas sidelining those that helped him safe political energy.

“We cannot allow his family to appoint a candidate for us,” he mentioned.

He insisted that the previous governor, quite than his erstwhile allies, was chargeable for the breakdown of their relationship.

Former allies return to APC

After the disagreement, Mr Sa’idu, Mr Sani, and different politicians beforehand related to Mr El-Rufai deserted the ADC and returned to the APC, aligning with Governor Uba Sani forward of the 2027 elections.

The defection represents a big political realignment in Kaduna State, bringing a number of former officers of Mr El-Rufai’s administration into the camp of his successor.

At a ceremony in Zaria on 17 October, Mr Sa’idu formally joined the APC alongside Mr Sani, former Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari and different political associates.

Mr Sa’idu claimed that his political group, Kaduna De-Initiatives, had helped construct the ADC’s buildings throughout the state however determined to depart after changing into dissatisfied with the occasion’s management and candidate-selection course of.

“We built ADC with our strength, sweat and blood, but unfortunately, a few individuals who later joined the party hijacked it,” he mentioned.

“We discovered that the party was being teleguided by a family, a situation which we found unacceptable.”

Mr Sa’idu claimed that greater than 200,000 ADC members and supporters had joined the APC via his political group, though the determine has not been independently verified.

The former chief of employees mentioned his return to the APC was not a person choice however a collective political transfer involving supporters throughout Kaduna State.

‘I went to prison before El-Rufai’

Mr Sa’idu additionally dismissed ideas that he and different former allies owed their political relevance to Mr El-Rufai, citing his personal expertise of extended detention.

He mentioned he was detained for greater than 100 days and spent the Eid-el-Kabir celebration in jail.

“I was the first to go to prison. I was detained for more than 100 days, and I celebrated Eid-el-Kabir there. So, who really suffered for whom?” he requested.

Mr Sa’idu’s reference to his detention provides one other dimension to the political dispute, notably as Mr El-Rufai himself stays in custody amid investigations and courtroom proceedings involving allegations referring to his time in workplace.

ALSO READ: El-Rufai’s ex-chief of staff dumps ADC, vows to deliver Zaria, Lere, others to APC

The allegations in opposition to Mr El-Rufai stay topic to judicial dedication.

Mr Sa’idu and Mr Sani have since aligned with Governor Uba Sani, whose administration has been on the centre of the political developments surrounding the previous governor and his associates.

Hunkuyi urges Uba Sani to maintain El-Rufai in custody

The political tensions took a sharper flip when former Kaduna North senator Suleiman Hunkuyi urged Governor Uba Sani to maintain Mr El-Rufai in custody till after the 2027 governorship election.

Mr Hunkuyi made the remarks throughout the Zaria ceremony organised to obtain Mr Sa’idu and different former ADC members into the APC.

Addressing the gathering, Mr Hunkuyi made an obvious reference to the departure of Mr El-Rufai’s former associates, questioning who remained within the former governor’s political camp after the defections.

He subsequently turned to Governor Uba Sani and urged him to not launch his predecessor till the governor had secured his political future in 2027.

“Please keep him for us. Hold him firmly and do not release him. Keep him securely until you receive your crown in your hands after election, then release him to us,” Mr Hunkuyi mentioned, in line with experiences of the occasion.

The remarks have added to the political controversy surrounding Mr El-Rufai’s detention, with the previous governor’s political opponents and former associates overtly repositioning themselves forward of the 2027 elections.

Mr El-Rufai ruled Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023 earlier than handing over to Mr Uba Sani, his former political ally.

Their relationship subsequently deteriorated, producing a significant political break up that has reshaped alliances within the state.

The newest defections underscore the rising contest for political affect in Kaduna, the place the APC and ADC are positioning for the subsequent governorship election.

A member of the El-Rufai household contacted by PREMIUM TIMES for a response to Mr Sa’idu’s allegation that the household hijacked the ADC in Kaduna declined to remark.

“I don’t want to talk about this,” the member of the family mentioned.