Noah Ebije, Kaduna.
The people of Southern Kaduna, under the umbrella of Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), have hit back at Governor Nasir El-rufai, for allegedly blackmailing them as a people who have made up their minds not to vote for him in March 2 election.
The people asked El-Rufai whether he was a Christian in 2015 when they voted for him massively, and advised the governor to “speak and act as leader of the entire people of the state, irrespective of ethnic and religious differences.”
El -Rufai, who was a guest on a television programme, last Thursday, alleged that 67 percent of Christian voters in Southern Kaduna would not vote for him; even if he nominates the Pope as his running mate.
In a statement, yesterday, by SOKAPU’s National Public Relations Officer, Mr. Yakubu Kuzamani, said the governor’s claim amounted to falsehood and deliberate efforts to cause religious divide in the state.
The statement added that Southern Kaduna people do not hate El-rufai, but that they are not comfortable with policies of his administration; which have reduced the people to political irrelevance.
“Our advice to Malam el-Rufai is for him to be a governor to all. He should stand for all, speak for all and protect all. He should be the one dousing tension and rallying all for unity, instead of unnecessarily heating up the political atmosphere in the state.
“Despite our measured and steadfast resolve to ignore this issue, considering the emotional reaction that the interview generated, it has, however, become imperative to speak and correct the deliberate misinformation, negative stereotyping and the generalization that was devoid of logic or fact.
“What is the reality? The fact is that Christians in Southern Kaduna do not hate governor el-Rufai, but, we abhor his deliberate policy aimed at reducing our people into political nothingness. With the general election approaching, the governor has been peddling this falsehood at several events. We declare emphatically the fact that our people and members, who include both Christians and Muslims, do not hate any politician on account of their religion. The governor’s assertions are merely the figment of his imagination and should be ignored.
“The deliberate falsehood manufactured by the governor is punctured by the fact that Christians in Southern Kaduna have been voting Muslims as governors; for a long time, since the creation of the state…”