El-Rufai Threatened To Beat Me Up – Says APC Vice Chairman

The National Vice Chairman (North West) of the ruling APC, Alhaji Inuwa Abdul-Kadir, said that he was reliably informed that Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna and ex-governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State intended to pull him down because of the party matters in their respective states.

 

He said governor El-Rufai once threatened to beat him up and prevent him from coming into Kaduna in the presence of other governors from the Zone in his office when he made an appeal for him to take leadership and drive a process that will harmonise, reconcile and solidify the party in the state.

 

Inuwa said this at APC national secretariat in Abuja while addressing journalists on the allegations leveled against him by Hajiya Aisha Kaita, the APC Zonal Women Leader (North West).

 

“A week before she issued the Press Statement, I was reliably informed that Malam El-Rufai intended to take on me over the APC crisis in Kaduna State….everything will be done to ensure that I am pulled down; and this they intended to achieve by teaming up with Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the former Governor of Kano State as according to them, Senator Kwankwanso too is aggrieved by the party’s decision in respect of the chairmanship position in Kano State.

 

“However, this did not surprise me because of the previous encounters I had with Malam El-Rufai and his threats and outbursts,” the APC Zonal Chairman added. Hajiya Aisha had accused him of not only misappropriating campaign and office furniture funds but also single- handedly operating an account in the name of North West Zonal Executive Committee.

 

Reacting to the allegations yesterday at a media briefing also attended by the Zonal Secretary, Alhaji Tukur Abdulkadir Gusau, Inuwa claimed that the allegations were intentionally fabricated to ridicule his person and bring him to disrepute.

 

“I wish to state here that the only funds that were disbursed to the Zone were done through the party account which was opened and operated at the instance of Party’s National Secretariat.

 

To the best of my knowledge, nobody has ever made any remittance from March 2015 to date into the account of the party. Since then to date, the Zonal Secretariat and the party vehicle are being maintained at my personal expense.

 

“In addition to these, my movements to attend party meetings in Abuja and within the Zone are all being undertaken at my personal expense.

 

These finances were duly presented, discussed and approved at the last NEC meeting of the party where Hajiya Aisha Kaita attended and made contributions.”

 

He said the suspension and removal of Hon. Umar Haruna Doguwa, the erstwhile chairman of Kano State chapter of the party followed due process and was considered and unanimously approved by the ZEC at its meeting held on December 10, 2016 in Dutse, Jigawa Sate and attended by over 200 members, inclusive of 5 Governors and 4 Deputy Governors.

 

On the Kaduna APC crisis, Abdul-Kadir urged governor El-Rufai to give the necessary cooperation to the Aminu Masari-led reconciliation committee to restore peace, unity and consolidation of the party’s support in the state.

 

He said, “Disharmony amongst key stakeholders of the party in Kaduna State has become so evident and this is in no way helpful to the party.

 

The party intervened and pacified the aggrieved members which brought about relative peace but Malam El- Rufai, governor of Kaduna State on the platform of the party and who is a key stakeholder of the party has not been forthcoming in all efforts to harmonise and solidify the party leadership structure in the state. “On several occasions, I had meetings with him where as the leader of the party in the Zone made passionate appeal for him to take leadership and drive a process that will harmonise, reconcile and solidify the party in the state.

 

“One of such appeals I made was in the presence of other Governors from the Zone in his office but his reaction was volatile and he threatened to beat me up and prevent me from coming into Kaduna. I kept my calm as a leader considering the volatility of Kaduna State in terms of political reaction which cannot just be ignored, and the attendant threat it poses viz-a-viz the tremendous goodwill and support the party is enjoying in Kaduna State.

 

“The other Governors share the same concern with me and he was pacified and it was agreed, after consultation with all concerned, to appoint a reconciliation committee under the chairmanship of Governor Aminu Bello Masari to put some more efforts in reconciling our members into harmony. “The committee is yet to conclude its assignment. But I understood that Malam Nasir El-Rufai is yet to give the necessary cooperation to the committee which I still urge him to do so.”