I Can’t Be Jonathan’s Running Mate, Says Governor El’Rufai
Kaduna State State Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmed Rufai has rebuffed the online report, speculating that APC intends to pair the former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan and him as 2023 the party presidential Standard bearers, describing it as “fake news”.
The Governor revealed this at the Presidential Lodge of the Adamawa Government House, Yola after paying respect to Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of the state on his ways to console his friend, Musa Halilu Yola who lost his mother that happened to be a step Mother to the First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari.
Nasir discarded the purported story to be fake news, calling on people not to believe everything they see on online media says he can’t be Jonathan running mate
” It is fake news. Cross-check, and cross-check and Crosscheck. Most of the time people sit and create fiction.” He said
Ahmed stated that his reasons for coming to Yola are to pay respect to his Father, Lamido Adamawa, and the Government of the State over many sons and Daughters that lost their lives as a result of the covid-19 pandemic that made him not to come at the time he supposes to come.
He said notable among those that lost their lives is his friend and political ally Adamu Modibbo, Alhaji Gambo Jimeta and of recent Mother to one of his close friends, Musa Halilu Yola.
He commended Governor Fintiri for the infrastructure development which he noticed after being a while for him not to have visited the state until now.
On the issue of insecurity across many parts of the country, Elrufai however worried that there is criminality all over the country.
Affirmed that there are good people and bad people in every part of the country, one of their duties as leaders is to separate bad ones and apply the law on them by not allowing them to take laws into their hands.
“We should not ethnicities or politicize crime. Let’s deal with anyone according to the Constitution and the law. This is our duties as Leaders.
” As Northern Governors, our position is to protect life and properties of people wherever they come from and I’m urging our Southern Leaders to do so.” Ahmed Said
He said Northern Governors in an efforts to get the root cause and find a lasting solution to the issues of banditry in the region, that they will provide modern livestock production and establish one ranch at least in each state, provide subsidy and support as done by the federal government in the past.
“The Northern Governors in our last meeting have agreed to establish at least one ranch in every state, this will serve as examples to Nomadic herders to see an alternative of producing livestock while being in one place.” He added
He further said that rapid urbanization and population growth, the land available for grazing will become less and less over time, they have to be strategic and look ahead to develop a modern method of livestock production so that herders can be settled in one place for their children to be educated, and over time nomadic lifestyle will be disappeared
“We need financial support to be able to deal with the situation by the Federal Government, this is hard times there are multiple challenges here and there, not only we are dealing with education, infrastructural development, and health care services delivery, but with also the cost of dealing with covid-19.
” We re-appealing to the federal government to assist us with finances to build modern ranches to serve as an example, an alternative to modern means of livestock production.
” This will convince the nomad to settle in one place and produce more milk, more livestock and become richer while their children get educated. I’m a Fulani but I don’t go up and down with cattles, I’m the Governor of Kaduna State by the grace of God because I went to school because my parents settled in one place, that’s our long-time dream.
“We have agreed as Northern Governors that we must intensify and pacify ways of establishing this modern ranches.”He said
