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Tag: el-rufai

  • 2019: El-Rufai picks Hadiza Balarabe as running mate

    2019: El-Rufai picks Hadiza Balarabe as running mate

    Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has announced the selection of Dr. Hadiza Balarabe as his running mate for the 2019 general election.

    The choice of Dr. Hadiza Balarabe as running mate continues Malam Nasir El-Rufai’s deliberate policy of promoting women. There are five female commissioners in his 14-person cabinet, a feat not attained even by governors that had much larger cabinets.

    This is the first time in the history of Kaduna State that a major political party will select a woman as running mate.

    The incumbent Deputy Governor, Arc. Barnabas Yusuf Bala, has opted to go to the National Assembly and has since emerged as the APC’s candidate for the southern Kaduna senatorial district.

    Balarabe is the current Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency, a position she has held since February 2016. In that role she has overseen the Kaduna State Government’s programme to revitalise and strengthen primary health care as the core of health service delivery in the state.

    Under her watch, the state is renovating and equipping 255 primary health centres with tools to assist better antenatal services and safer delivery.

    The agency has also helped expand vaccine coverage to protect children across the state.

    Prior to joining the Kaduna State Government, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe was Director of Public Health in the FCT. She studied Medicine at the University of Maiduguri, and graduated in 1988.

    She was a Senior Registrar at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital before joining the services of the FCT in 2004.

    Balarabe, who was born in 1966, is from Sanga local government which is located in the southern Kaduna senatorial district.

  • CAN to Buhari, El-Rufai: Bring those behind fresh Kaduna killings to justice

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Monday challenged the Federal and Kaduna State governments to end impunity in Kaduna by bringing masterminds of the killings there to justice.

    CAN expressed shock over the killing of the paramount ruler of Kachia, the Agom Adara, Dr Maiwada Galadima, and his security aide and driver by suspected kidnappers.

    The Christian body in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, by its media aide to CAN President, Pastor Bayo Oladeji, asked the government to stop politicising the crises and sanction those behind them.

    It said, “We have it on a good authority the killings in Adamawa, Benue and Plateau states in the last two years have been going unchecked as if nothing unusual is happening? Many were even unreported.

    “This is a sad commentary on the part of the government. Has Nigeria become a lawless state? Are those hoodlums better equipped and more organised than our security agencies?

    “We ask the political class to stop politicising the orgy of killings and for both state and Federal Governments to stop rationalising the mass killing of innocent Nigerians and sanction those responsible for this horrifying bloodshed.”

    CAN demanded an overhaul of the security architecture and replacement of the security chiefs.

    It also asked for the implementation of all the White Papers on ethno-religious uprisings in the country and the prosecution of those apprehended for the killings in Southern Kaduna two years ago.

    The group further demanded compensation for the bereaved and victims of all ethno-religious conflicts in the last five years.

  • [Audio] El-Rufai speaks on Kaduna killings

    Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on Monday addressed residents over recent violent clashes in the state.
    The governor said in a statewide broadcast on the crisis that the government remained committed to ensuring lasting peace across the state.
    “The support of communities have been reassuring,” he said, adding that they must also “reject those who incite violence and divide us.”
    The governor cautioned residents against spreading rumour and fake news which contributed largely to the violence.
    WhatsApp Audio 2018-10-22 at 21.17.55
    He said that in spite of the relative peace across all communities, the 24-hour curfew imposed on Kaduna metropolis and environs still remain in force.
    The governor however said that the State Security Council would meet on Tuesday morning to review the security situation and possibly reduce the hours of the curfew.
    The governor said security agents have been directed to escort travellers passing through Kaduna to the outskirts of the town so as not to impeded the journey.
    El-Rufai assured that the government would vigorously pursue the prosecution of all those apprehended in the course of the recent violence across the state, including the 65 being prosecuted over an earlier violence in Kasuwan Magani in February.
    El-Rufa’i who commended security agents for their professionalism in containing the violence, however stressed that the ultimate guarantee to peace lies in the willingness of all to live in peace and resolve misunderstandings amicably.
    NAN

  • 2019: No going back on Shehu Sani's candidacy, APC tells El-Rufai

    2019: No going back on Shehu Sani's candidacy, APC tells El-Rufai

    The national headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that Shehu Sani remained its only senatorial candidate from Kaduna Central.

    The Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena, gave the clarification in newsmen in Abuja on Sunday.

    He said Sani was the only senatorial candidate from the zone that was duly recognised by the national body.

    Shehu Sani had distanced himself from the primary election held in the state on Saturday, where he was said to have lost to Special Adviser to Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Political Affairs, Uba Sani.

    The Returning Officer of the primary held at Murtala Muhammed Square, Kaduna, Eddie Floyd-Igbo, declared Uba Sani, Mr El-Rufai’s adviser, as the winner with 2,088 votes, while Shehu Sani garnered only 15 votes.

    Another aspirant, Usman Ibrahim-Sardauna, was said to have secured only 129 votes.

    Nabena, however, reiterated that, “as far as Kaduna Central Zone 2 is concerned, the only candidate is Sen. Shehu Sani.

    “Yes election took place in that zone because of the House of Representatives and the State House of Assembly but for the senatorial position, the only candidate is Sen. Shehu Sani.

    “The governor cannot dictate to the party.”

     

  • 2019: El-Rufai frowns at automatic ticket to Sani, says APC may lose Kaduna Central

    2019: El-Rufai frowns at automatic ticket to Sani, says APC may lose Kaduna Central

    …says Buhari does not support automatic tickets
    Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai on Friday said that President Muhammadu Buhari is against giving out automatic tickets to aspirants.
    According to him, the President has promised to wade into the various issues of automatic tickets granted to some politicians among other problems experienced in some states during the primary elections.
    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
    He said “Many contestants that have been screened by the committee, were removed from the list unilaterally by some elements in the party, there are rumors that some people have been granted automatic tickets. But by yesterday when the representatives of the progressive governors forum met with Mr President and National chairman, we thought that this rumour of automatic ticket which has no place in our constitution and any enlighten democracy have been resolved.
    “But up to the time I left Kaduna this morning and came to see the President, we did not receive the list of those that will contest the legislative elections.
    “On my way I received a list of our state party structure but it seems to me there are still exclusions. As you know exclusion are one of the many reasons elections are lost at the tribunal level.
    “We are being careful in Kaduna state, we do not practice imposition, force people to step down for anyone, we believe in elections and we like people to subject themselves to full democratic process.
    “In some states, you have one list from the governor, we don’t have any list. We gave everyone a level playing ground as subject to meeting the requirements of the party, everyone is allowed to contest and may the best man win.” he said
    On the President’s response, he said “The President restated his position that he is a democrat, product of elections and he has never encouraged non-election.
    “He has never supported imposition and he has never asked anyone to grant anybody automatic tickets.
    “The position was restated yesterday to the progressive governors forum and he told me this and said he will take necessary steps to communicate this very clearly to the party leadership.” he said
    On the prospects of the candidates for Kaduna State governorship seat, he said “It is not me, I only have one vote as the governor of the state, it’s up to the delegates in the Kaduna state APC to vote for Shehu Sani or vote for other candidates.
    “But what democracy said is that every person should be given a chance to contest. Shehu Sani has done things against the interest of the people of Kaduna state and it is time for him to explain why he did what he did and ask the delegates to vote for him but to avoid facing the consequences of your actions by getting what is called automatic ticket is a recipe to losing the election to other parties.” he stated
    Reminded that there is deadline for the primary elections, he said “There is time, we have three elections, do two elections the same day and three contest, the House of reps is 16, the house of assembly is the more difficult one because there are 34.
    “But I believe we can meet the deadline provided that we have a list that does not reasonably and capriciously excludes the contestants.” he said.
    El-Rufai went on ” I have been elected as the candidate of the party but it is up to the party at the headquarters to do the right thing and allow the constitution of the APC to be complied with which is to do primaries.”
    He alleged that Shehu Sani was largely responsible for Kaduna state losing N100 billion loan from the World Bank at 1 percent interest payable over 50 years invested in building schools, hospitals and other infrastructure.
    He said “Everyone in Kaduna knows this and many people are predictably angry. It’s an act of sabotage. It’s time for him to go and explain why he did what he did, if his actions are justified I am sure the delegates will vote for him.
    “The state apparatus is a very small component of Kaduna state. There are 10 million people in Kaduna state and the apparatus is only 80 thousand people but what can we do.
    “But Shehu Sani cannot even campaign in the market square in Kaduna central market. I challenge him let’s go to Kaduna central market and let’s see who will come out unscathed.
    “It is a well known fact that he had done this and many people are angry. Like I said he has his reasons which he can justify to those voting in the election. All we ask for is a free and fair contest. We are not going to manipulate any process. Lets have all those that are qualified to contest for democratic competition.” he said.

  • El-Rufai vows to remove Shehu Sani from Senate despite meeting with Buhari

    El-Rufai vows to remove Shehu Sani from Senate despite meeting with Buhari

    Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has re-echoed his determination to replace the senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani.

    He spoke at the weekend just two days after Sani paid Sallah homage to President Muhammadu Buhari at Daura, Katsina State.

    Sani had disclosed that they deliberated on issues bordering on strengthening the All Progressives Congress, APC, through resolution of all internal tissues.

    He said: “I am also here to fully assure him of the support of my constituency, Kaduna Central, to his aspiration for the second term.

    “I’m also here to assure him (President Buhari) of my own wholehearted support to the success of his administration and his return to office for the second term.

    “Those were the basic issues that we discussed with him and other issues that border on the need to strengthen our party; the need to end all internal strife and also the need to put heads, hearts and hands together for the success of his administration and also for the success of the party”.

    On his Kaduna Central Senatorial ticket, the senator told journalists in Daura that, “the party had made it very clear and known to each and every person that there will be reward for loyalty but in every sense of the word due process of the party needs to be followed.”

    But addressing party stakeholders at Kaduna North Local Government Area, El-Rufai declared that he would only listen to the senator if he secures $350million loan for Kaduna State.

    “In politics, it is impossible to hide your choice. Government officials have their choices but the government does not have a candidate. Whoever you selected, is the choice of God”, Daily Nigerian quoted him as saying.

    “But as you all know, I have my candidate here. You may recall that we voted for somebody named Shehu Sani in the last election. When he went to Abuja and drank Abuja water, he started misbehaving, abusing the president and this government and sabotaging the party.

    “For this, I personally asked Uba Sani to contest against him. So Uba Sani is my candidate.

    “As you all know, Shehu Sani is among the senators who denied Kaduna State access to loan. Since he has shown the people of Kaduna State this enmity, you must pay him back in his own coin at the primary election.

    “I therefore, seek your favour in the primary election to support Uba Sani.

    “We are surprised that Shehu Sani has not left the party. We thought he would commit political apostasy like others, but he remained in the party making efforts to correct his sins.

    “We are waiting for him. As I have said, we have no grouse about him but his character. If he repents, we will listen to him. But if he refuses to secure that $350million loan for Kaduna State, we will not listen to him.

    “Those close to him should tell him: wherever he goes (for lobbying), we will not listen to him if he did not bring $350million to Kaduna”.

  • Two killed in Kaduna violence, El-Rufai declares curfew

    The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has visited the families of two youth who were killed in a communal clash in Kwaru and Ungwan Yero communities on Friday.

    Both communities are in the Kaduna North Local Government Area.

    During the visit, the governor listened to the families.

    While condoling them, Mr El-Rufai expressed his sympathy and condemned the loss of innocent lives.

    The governor assured the families that the law enforcement agencies have been directed to thoroughly investigate the killings, and to prosecute those involved. He appealed to the residents of the communities to reject division in the name of religion or ethnicity, and to uphold harmony in the area.

    Mr El-Rufai was accompanied by Deputy Governor Barnabas Bala and senior government officials.

    The government has also announced a curfew in the two communities, between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., effective from today. A government statement disclosed that more security agents have been deployed to the area, and appealed to residents of the communities to observe the curfew which will be strictly enforced.

  • El-Rufai’s grouse against Saraki, Senate is over Kaduna’s foreign loan, says Senator

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim has described the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai as a “loose cannon and a liar” who is one of the people that got the All Progresives Congress (APC) into the current mess it found itself now.
    Reacting to a statement by El-Rufai on a Hausa radio Programme where he described the present Senate under the leadership of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki as the worst, Senator Rafiu stated that the Kaduna Governor is known as a “flippant and loose talker” as the facts do not support his position.
    “May be we need to educate this aggrieved Governor that this Senate in three years already has the highest number of bills with relevance to improving the economy, eliminating insecurity and corruption since 1999, even though we still have 10 months to the end of our tenure. Similarly, we have treated more petitions than the number that all the past Senate combined had done. Our interventions on key issues that affect the day to day living of Nigerians have remained unparalleled.
    “El- Rufai is an aggrieved Governor. He is pained by the rejection of his request for foreign loans by the Senate Committee on Foreign and Local Debt which is headed by a Senator from Kaduna State, Shehu Sanni. The Governor has been speaking from both sides of the mouth.
    ” He had sent several persons to the Senate President on this loan. I am aware that when he sent the current Minister of Finance to Dr. Saraki, the latter made it known that he too was helpless on the issue as there was no personal reason that will make him stand against such a request.
    “The Senate President advised the Governor to reach out to the three Senators from the State and get them to support the decision as he, the Senate President, would find it difficult to overrule the Senators, particularly since one of them is the chairman of the concerned committee.
    “The three Senators from Kaduna State insisted that an approval for the loan would sentence Kaduna State to many years of indebtedness.
    “I am aware of the text message that this same El-Rufai sent to Saraki few weeks ago,thanking him for the useful and supportive discussion the Senate President had with the Minister of Finance on the Kaduna loan issue and commending this same Saraki for the leadership he has provided on a number of issues.
    ” For him to now be making this kind of nonsensical and reckless statements against the Senate President shows that he is a double-faced, reckless, immature and unstable liar. People should ignore him. He is one of the people who destroyed APC up to the point that it is and President Buhari had better realized that with a supporter like el-Rufai, he does not need an opponent again”, Rafiu stated.

  • 2019: Sani, Hunkuyi knock El-Rufai over alleged imposition, set to dump APC

    The Sen Suleiman Hunkuyi-led faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State says it is considering defecting to another political party barely few months to the 2019 general elections.

    The group, known as APC Akida, in a statement in Kaduna on Friday said it has concluded a review of the state of the party and governance issues in the state and the nation, and was considering leaving the party they worked hard to put in place.

    The group said it would take the decision “if there is no visible evidence of success in addressing the damaging levels of alienation and frustration among the millions of party faithful in Kaduna State”.

    Prominent among the group are Sen Shehu Seni, Isah Ashiru former APC governorship aspirant Mr. Mataimaki Tom Maiyashi, among others.

    Mr. Tom Maiyashi, Chairman of the group, who signed the statement said two recent events in the state chapter of the party have confirmed its fears of the absence of credible and legitimate party leadership.

    These, he said, were capable of destroying the credibility and popularity of the party.

    “The party congresses, and the Local Government Councils elections, in Kaduna State have confirmed the fears that the absence of credible and legitimate party leadership in our state will destroy its credibility and popularity.

    “These are fears which the Akida group had raised since the early days of the administration of Nasir el-Rufai.

    “The congresses have exposed the contempt for popular participation by the Governor and his hand-picked choir.

    “Our party has lost massive popularity and goodwill as a result of attempts to force the choices of an unpopular government on party faithful”, he said.

    Maiyashi said those who emerged as leaders of the party from the congresses enjoy no support or legitimacy among party members.

    “It has become painfully aware that all efforts to halt the damage being done to our party ,including many attempts by the leadership of the APC at zonal and national levels, are unlikely to reverse the decline in our party’s capacity to live up to its promises made to the people in 2015.

    ”The Akida group has informed all relevant party organs and leaders that it will regretfully consider leaving a party it worked hard to put in place if there is no visible evidence of success in addressing the damaging levels of alienation and frustration among the millions of party faithful in Kaduna State.

    “As things stand, the founding values of our party, particularly integrity, accountability, inclusiveness and compassion have been systematically repudiated by the government of Nasir el-Rufai, starting with the subversion of the autonomy and integrity of the party at all levels in the state.

    “We appeal to anyone with authority or influence over the governor to use it responsibly to head off a looming disaster in the shape of a party that has lost its foundations and integrity,” he said.

     

     

  • Buhari’ll win 2019 election without support of Saraki, Kwankwaso, others in nPDP – El-Rufai

    The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, on Tuesday said members of the defunct new Peoples Democratic Party were not capable of stopping President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election.

    He made the disclosure during an interview session with newsmen at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The governor said since 2003, Buhari had been winning elections in Adamawa, Kano and Sokoto states where most of the nPDP members hail from.

    Apparently, El-Rufai was specifically taking a swipe at the Senate President, Bukola Saraki of Kwara; former governor of Kano State and senator representing Kano central, Rabiu Kwankwaso; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar who dumped the All Progressives Congress and returned to his former party [PDP].

    He however agreed that some of the grievances of the party chiefs were legitimate and should be looked into.

    He said, “Who are these new PDP people that are threatening? They are Kwara, Kano, Sokoto, Adamawa, Rivers but I don’t think Amaechi is part of them.

    “So, let’s take these four states, go back to 2003 and check. Buhari then under the ANPP won in all these four states.

    “Go back to 2007, Buhari won in these four states. Even when Shekarau was running as a presidential candidate in 2011, Buhari defeated him in Kano.

    “I have no doubt in my mind that even if the people threatening to leave decide to leave, it will have absolutely no impact on the presidential election.

    “The President will win Sokoto, Kwara and Adamawa easily. Kano is already in the bag, I mean if you saw the crowd that welcomed the President without the former governor Kwankwaso, Kano has always been the President’s base.”

    El-Rufai however admitted that some of the grievances expressed by the aggrieved nPDP members were legitimate and should be looked into.

    He said the only thing that was wrong was their threat to leave the party.

    He described politics as a game of addition and not subtraction, saying the party did not have to lose anyone.

    However, members of the Alhaji Kawu Baraje-led faction of the defunct new PDP, who are currently in the APC, have said that their letter to the APC leadership is not an empty threat.

    The spokesperson for the group, Mr. Timi Frank, stated this in interview with reporters in Abuja, on Tuesday.

    Frank stated that the group was considering options following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum given to the APC.

    He explained that the group had yet to receive any response either from President Buhari or the APC leadership.

    Frank also dismissed insinuations that there was a crack in the nPDP bloc as a result of a counter-letter written by Senator Abdullahi Adamu on Monday.

    According to him, the authentic members of the nPDP bloc were not surprised about the antics of the former Nasarawa State governor.

    He explained that the senator was better known for his active involvement in the pro-Abacha movement as well as ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s failed third term bid.

    Frank said over 95 per cent of the nPDP members gave Alhaji Kawu Baraje the authority to speak on their behalf and as such, the contents of his letter conveyed their feelings.

    Asked whether the President or the APC had responded to his group’s letter, Frank said, “Today makes it seven days from the day our group brought this letter to the party. But as it stands, we’ve not got any response yet from them. As we’ve said, whatever we must have said in that letter, it is not an empty threat. If they decide to ignore us, so, be it.

    “At the appropriate time, we are going to respond and make our position known to Nigerians based on what we’ve said. It is not just a mere threat; it is not just a mere ultimatum.

    “I will tell you we are meeting with our leaders and we are going to come up with a clear position on our next step if finally they don’t attend to us.”

    The nPDP spokesman further explained that history appeared to be repeating itself because this was the same way the then ruling PDP ignored calls by some of them to address certain issues.

    He said, “We told them why we were aggrieved. Our leaders moved round the states to talk to party members, to ask the government at that time to listen to our views, but at the end of the day, they refused. They ignored us and that was how we left.

    In response to a question on what the next step would be should the APC continue to ignore the bloc, he said, “We believe we are going to take a decision that will benefit the Nigerian people because we believe that democracy should be all inclusive. Democracy should not be a situation where when you speak the truth, you will be harassed; you will be intimidated and so on.”

    He debunked Senator Adamu’s claims that the APC had been fair to the nPDP bloc.

    Frank said the positions occupied by the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, were not appointments.

    He argued that the two men enjoyed the confidence of their colleagues in the National Assembly across party lines and were elected based on their personal merits.

    Earlier, el-Rufai had justified the use of electronic voting in last Saturday’s local government elections in his state.

    He said the process gave the people the confidence to elect their chairmen and ward councillors.

    He said electronic voting did not contravene the Electoral Act as being argued by some persons.

    He said former President Goodluck Jonathan signed an amendment to the Act which, he claimed, legitimised the use of card readers and other electronic systems for voting.

    The governor also recommended electronic voting for the 2019 elections.

    “I recommend it highly to everyone. I have already offered to my colleagues’ governors that are yet to conduct local government elections that they can come to Kaduna and we can give them the machines on mutually acceptable terms.

    “All you will need is to change the software, it will have the logo of the state and the number of parties active in the state and the number of parties active in the state and they can use it. It is easy.

    “At the federal level, I will recommend it as well because with the card reader and the electronic voting machine, the era of rigging elections is almost over and I think that is when people will have confidence in the process and will come out en masse to vote for their leaders.