PRESIDENT BUHARI IS FOR ALL THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES – FG REPLIES EL RUFAI •••BUHARI’S ADVOCACY OF FREE AND FAIR ELECTION MEANS HE IS NOT BACKING ANY CANDIDATE – LAI MOHAMMED

By Iyojo Ameh

The Presidency has refuted reports in the media credited to the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El Rufai, that there are some individuals in the Presidential Villa allegedly sabotaging the victory of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu in the February 25, 2023 Presidential election.

The Federal Government said that President Mohammadu Buhari is neither working for nor against any candidate.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, in his reaction on Wednesday, said that the Federal Government is not aware of any group sabotaging any candidate in the forthcoming election.

Mohammed said that President Mohammadu Buhari has insisted that he would promote free and fair election adding that the government has been fair to all candidates irrespective of party affiliation

He stressed that the President decision to opt for free and fair election means for backing anybody.

“ “On a more serious note, “One thing I can assure you is that no matter who, this administration is focused and determined to ensure a free and fair election and I think in this administration, the most important person is Mr. President and I think he has shown by words and by deeds that he’s committed to a free, fair and credible election.

“Fair, free and credible election actually means not favouring anybody or disadvantaging anybody and everywhere he goes, he makes that very clear, even as recently as Friday, when he was in Daura, he said the same thing.

“So, if there’s anybody who’s working against any candidate, we don’t know officially”, he explained.

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Wednesday, said he knows some “elements” in Aso Rock Villa working against the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 presidential election this month.

Governor El-Rufai had alleged while speaking on Channels Television early morning Programme, Sunrise Daily, he knows some “elements” in Aso Rock Villa working against the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s victory in the February 25, 2023 presidential election.

He said that the fifth columnists were not happy that Tinubu defeated their candidate in the APC presidential primaries.

Though, the Governor didn’t disclose the identities of these elements he added that they were hiding behind President Muhammadu Buhari’s desire to do what he thinks is right.

”I believe there are elements in the Villa that want us to lose the election because they didn’t get their way; they had their candidate. Their candidate did not win the primaries.

“They are trying to get us to lose the election, and they are hiding behind the president’s desire to do what he thinks is right.

“I will give two examples: this petroleum subsidy, which is costing the country trillions of Naira, was something that we all agreed would be removed.

“In fact, I had a discussion with the President and showed him why it had to go. Because how can you have a capital budget of N200b for federal roads and then spend N2 Trillion on petroleum subsidy?

“This was a conversation I had with the president in 2021 when the subsidy thing started rising. He was convinced. We left. It changed. Everyone in the government agreed, and it changed.

“The second example I will give is this currency redesign. You have to understand the president. People are blaming the Governor of the Central Bank for the currency redesign, but No.

“You have to go back and look at the first outing of Buhari as ‘president’. (Head Of State) He did this; the Buhari, and Idiagbon regime changed our currency and did it in secrecy with a view to catching those that are stashing away illicit funds.

“It is a very good intention. The president has his right. But doing it at this time within the allotted time does not make any political or economic sense.” El-Rufai Stated.

Tinubu had some weeks ago made a similar claim that fuel scarcity and naira redesign policies were targeted at him.

El-Rufai who was a guest on Channels Television breakfast programme Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, blamed some of the government policies including the naira redesign and persistent fuel scarcity in the country on 5th Columnist, saying that naira redesign and persistent fuel scarcity may cause unrest in the country.

According to him, the policy of currency redesign at this moment is the idea of few people in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, adding that it was never the policy of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said: The policy of currency redesign is the idea of few people in the Presidential Villa. APC never promised Naira redesign. This is not the right time to embark on such exercise because most part of the areas in Nigeria have no banking facilities”.

The former Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) alleged that the naira redesign and fuel scarcity across Nigeria is the handiwork of the 5th Columnist, to bring down the government of APC.

“I must say that the naira redesign and fuel scarcity is the handiwork of 5th Columnist because they want to bring the country down, otherwise why must redesigning of naira be the priority of the federal government at this time”, he posited.

El-Rufai who is a prominent member and co-founder of APC also alleged that most of the people in the Presidential Villa are not APC members hence some of the policies they are churning out from time to time are those that will hurt APC.

Asked if he was not using his close relationship with President Buhari to make suggestions on how to solve some national issues, El-Rufai dismissed it with the wave of the hand, saying that he cannot remember when he has made suggestions that were accepted.

“I stopped going to Presidential Villa four years ago. What is the use when every suggestion you bring will not be accepted.

”I rather stayed back solving the problems of my state (Kaduna) which I believe will be more important to me and my people. I don’t go to the Presidential Villa anymore”.