El-Rufai Mocks Peter Obi’s Supporters Over Plans to Hold 2-Million-March in Kaduna
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has mocked supporters of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi over plans to hold a 2 million-man march in Kaduna.
Similar rallies have been Nassarawa,Lagos Anambra and Imo, leading one of Peter Obi’s supporters to express his desire for the people of Kaduna to show support for his presidential bid.
‘Kaduna Two Million March for Peter Obi
Kaduna Two Million March for Peter Obi…,’ he tweeted.
Governor El-Rufai responded via his verified Twitter account: ‘In Kaduna? Not Kaduna Twitter? –
I hope you get Two Hundred persons on the streets, including those ‘imports’ that can’t open their shops on Mondays, and came on overnight bus last night!!
I jus’ dey laff, wallahi tallahi!! – @KadunaResident.
’
On July 20th the Kaduna State Government denied a request by a group affiliated to Peter Obi and his running mate, Yusuf Datti, access to the Arewa House in the state after paying for it.
The Peter Obi Support Network (POSN) had planned to use the popular centre as venue for the Northern Summit in support of Peter Obi’s presidential bid.
In a press statement signed by its spokesman, Sani Altukry, POSN noted that El Rufai, through his spokesperson, reportedly called the Manager of Arewa House to notify POSN spokesman of the unavailability of the venue for the Peter-Datti Northern Summit.
‘The summit is not a political campaign of any sort, but a convergence of volunteers, would-be volunteers and supporters of the Obi-Datti project for necessary interaction and cross-fertilisation of ideas,’ the statement reads
‘We condemn the decision of El-Rufai to block the hosting of the Northern Summit for Peter Obi and Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the LP presidential candidate and his running mate at the Arewa House in the state.
‘The decision of the governor is disheartening at the critical point in time when Northern Nigerians are desperate for development and liberation from poverty due to maladministration.’
According to the Guardian, this was in retaliation against Peter Obi, who as governor of Anambra State in 2013, reportedly ordered the Department of State Security (DSS) to confine governor El-Rufai to his hotel room during the state governorship elections.
‘The table has turned. Nine years ago, Mallam (El-Rufai) was kept at Finotel in Awka against his will when he arrived Anambra to monitor the election in which the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr. Chris Ngige was contesting.
‘So, this time around, we are protecting the place and the organisers against any breakdown of the law. If anything happens to the attendees or the premises, the Kaduna State government would be held responsible. As a responsible Chief Security Officer of the state the governor decided on that measure. I did not say you should quote me,’ the source told the Paper.
