TheCable

A faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna state on Sunday told  Nasir el-Rufai, governor of the state, that he lacks the moral standing to criticise President Muhammadu Buhari.

The group also accused the governor of being behind the crisis rocking the ruling party in the state.

Matamaki Maiyashi, chairman of the group, said the governor turned down all efforts to resolve the issues affecting Kaduna APC.

“This memo he sent to the president, in our view, shows total disrespect… it is shocking that Nasir el-Rufai will write this type of memo to Mr President,” Maiyashi said.

“After all what he is doing in Kaduna, there is no story to tell anybody.

“So far, what we can see are gutters being dug all over the place and I wonder whether that should be the mark of progress or development of our state.”

Maiyashi said el-Rufai was more guilty of the accusations leveled against the president.

“Here (in Kaduna), when we said he should correct his actions and pay attention to the things that will enhance the dignity and happiness of our people who gave this mandate to our party, he said we should go to Kufena hills and jump and commit suicide,” he said.

“How can that sort of person think that he has the moral pedestal to correct Mr President?

“We think this is distasteful and disrespectful. If he really wants to change Mr President, he should change himself. Charity should begin at home and he should know that he is benefiting from the integrity of Mr President, otherwise he wouldn’t have been governor”.

Shehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central, Buba Galadima, a former ambassador, were among the bigwigs who attended the press conference.

But Uba Sani, special adviser to the governor on political matters, said those opposing his principal were only “looking for settlement”.

“Some people are issuing  statements to the media about a faction. The meaning of a faction in a party is when you have elected officials of the party coming out to disagree with the position of the party,” he said.

“But when you have the entire executive of the party in the state from the local government level to the state, working together without problem, you cannot say there is a faction.

“Like any other state you could have members of the party who probably are used to the old system where you will go to the media and disagree with the government and the government will call you and settle you.

“In this government, we will not accept that. The governor made it abundantly clear that he will not settle anybody who disagrees with him as a person. You can accuse the government but we will not lose focus of serving the people.”