Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has defended the fiery Kaduna Governor Nasir El Rufai over the threats he issued to officials of foreign countries who have condemned the president over his extra-constitutionals actions in the lead up to the general elections of this month.
In a statement issued by one of his spokespersons, Garba Shehu, President Buhari said that the comment by Governor El Rufai in which he warned officials of the United States, the United Kingdom, and of the European Union against interfering with the internal affairs of Nigeria, was in the “national interest”.
Referring specifically to the February 16 polls, the statement said “El-Rufa’i, having made a clarification on the comments he earlier made on the role of other countries and bodies in elections, there was no need dragging the issue further”.
“We have taken note of the clarification to a reported earlier statement by the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufa’i, concerning opposition call for foreign interference in our domestic affairs and to say that latest statements by him should rest the issue for good,” the statement published on Facebook read.
“There is nothing more to sneeze at. The governor spoke strongly in defence of of national interest. It is clear that El-Rufa’i, our party the All Progressives Congress , and all its candidates have reposed their faith in democracy through general elections.
“They are all of the view that there is no place for violence against local people or foreign citizens in our midst”, the Presidency stated.
On free and fair polls, it added, “The Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari will cooperate with election observers and will not let the international community down in the conduct of the coming elections.
“The Presidency assures Nigerians and the international community that the President will do everything within his power to ensure free, fair and credible elections in the country.”
However, it hit at the Peoples Democratic Party, saying that it “ought to owned up to the mistakes of their own policies for 16 years, which have led the country to a sorry pass that has cost lives, jobs and growth instead of dwelling on diversionary issues.”
‘They Will Go Back In Body Bags’ – El Rufai Issues Death Threat To US, UK, EU Officials (VIDEO)
Nasir el-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna State, on Tuesday, February 5, 2019 has threatened foreign nations, whom he says are trying to interfere in the affairs of Nigeria.
In his usual fiery approach, the Kaduna governor said that they “would leave in body bags” has been generating reactions from Nigerians.
Speaking on Tuesday Live, on a late-night programme on the NTA, El-Rufai warned the United States of America, the United Kingdom and the European Union, who have reacted to the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, to stop interfering in the affairs of Nigeria, else, they would leave in “body bags”.
He said, “They (the comments) were based on non-information and they are most irresponsible and I am happy that the Presidency responded to them.
“Those that are calling for everyone to come and intervene in Nigeria, we are waiting for the person that will come and intervene,” Governor El Rufai said. “They will go back in body bags.”
“Because nobody will come to Nigeria and tell us how to run our country.
“We’ve got that independence and we are trying to run our country as decently as possible and we know the history of those countries that are trying to teach us these things; we have read their history.
“We also know that in their stages of development they went through these challenges,” the Kaduna governor said.
