Bello El-Rufai, the member representing Kaduna North in the House of Representatives and son of the immediate-past governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufa’i, has said that even though his father was his number one role model and incumbent Governor Uba Sani his boss, reconciling both of them was not his responsibility.
This is even as he alleged that some people were delighted seeing his father and the governor of Kaduna State enmeshed in a conflict, just like the legendary Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachan and Darmendra fighting.
According to the lawmaker, his primary assignment was to give the people of Kaduna North federal constituency quality representation.
Hon. el-Rufai bared his mind on the ongoing developments in Kaduna Stats in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, monitored by our correspondent in Kaduna on Saturday.
It would be recalled that the el-Rufai Junior was Governor Sani’s legislative aide when the latter represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the Senate before he got elected in 2023 as the federal lawmaker representing Kaduna North federal constituency.
Lately, the cold war between between Governor Sani and the former governor of the state el-Rufai escalated leading to verbal attacks over an allegation by Governor Sani that his predecessor left a huge debt for him, such that the state government was finding it difficult to even pay the salaries of workers.
However, Hon. el-Rufai, who until now never spoke on the matter, warned that if he decided to fight any cause on the social media, it would definitely be fierce as he had shown previously.
He said that he was not happy with what was happening between his father and Governor Uba Sani, considering the role both of them played in his life.
It would be recalled that the Kaduna State House of Assembly had launched an investigation into the financial dealings of the state government under El-Rufai over allegations of irregularities in borrowing and disbursement of N423 billion loan, a matter which later went to the court and some former officials of the el-Rufa’i administration were either quizzed or put on trial.
One of them was said to be hospitalised due to shock, after being allegedly nabbed by an anti-graft agency, while a female former commissioner with similar charges could not be found.
Meanwhile, the former Governor el-Rufa’i denied all the allegations and filed a lawsuit in court to clear his name.
Hon. el-Rufa’i in the BBC Hausa interview, said: “It is not pleasant for us, even if a person is my enemy, I do not want to see him fighting with another enemy of mine, I want peace,” while relating the situation to how life could change at any time, saying “marriages break up, friends stop being friends, it’s just that friendships shouldn’t be left regardless of any kind of conflict.”
He said that he did not know what pitched his father against his once bossom friend, adding that he did not expect them to quarrel with each other because he had never heard them coming out and insulting one another in his presence.
According to him, he did not even know if the fight they were allegedly involved in was real as people were saying because “None of them said anything to me about the crisis.”
Speaking on the investigation of his father’s administration by Governor Uba Sani, Hon. el-Rufai said: “there was nothing wrong because investigation is not a crime but if it was done with an ulterior motive, the Almighty Allah will judge in favour of the victimised.”
Asked if he thought he could reconcile his father and Uba Sani, he said: “By Almighty Allah, it is not my work, my work is to focus on helping the people of Kaduna North Constituency.”
He, however, indicated that he wanted peace between both men and that he wanted the duo to be in harmony.
The lawmaker said that there’s a possibility of restoring peace between the two, but emphasized the position of both of them and how he prays for peace between them.
“In my opinion, there is no one as good as Malam Nasir politically, he only puts his work first and that is why I want to be like him, and he is my father, a father is a father.
“And about him, Governor Uba Sani, all those who are waiting for me to say something about him, they will be disappointed,” he stated.
