My Son Remains In APC On His Own Personal Volition — El-Rufai

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said that his son, Bello El-Rufai, remains in the All Progressives Congress (APC) based on his own free will despite his (father) continued opposition to the ruling party.

LEADERSHIP reports that Bello is a member of the House of Representatives representing Kaduna North.

El-Rufai made the disclosure in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Thursday evening, shortly after he reportedly resisted an attempt by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on his arrival from Egypt.

Speaking on his son’s continued membership of the APC, El-Rufai, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said the lawmaker was an adult capable of making independent political decisions.

“My son Bello was elected under the platform of the APC and his electorate seem to be happy with the work he is doing, so since he is an adult of over 30 years, he can make his own choices. Politics is about personal preference,” he said.

He added that his son’s decision to remain in the party does not conflict with his own stance against the APC.

“If he wants to remain in the APC without getting involved in the party’s wrongdoing because of the home training we gave him, then Alhamdulillah,” he stated.

On allegations of financial misconduct, El-Rufai disclosed that he had received an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an investigation bordering on alleged money laundering.

“The EFCC have already sent me an invitation letter regarding investigation on money laundering and such, and I have already responded that I will be going to their office on Monday because I am not afraid of anything or anyone except God,” he said.

He alleged that the current administration has been making efforts to implicate him but has found no evidence.

“This government has been throwing bogus charges at me and the Kaduna State Government trying to find fault, but they haven’t been able to. This government hates me because I am one of the few people that have publicly come out to oppose it and strive to bring it down. If they have anything on me, they would have used it already,” he said.

El-Rufai further claimed that some elements within the government were uncomfortable with his return to the country.

“They don’t want me in Nigeria, but now that I have returned many of them will not be able to sleep because they know once I am here we will work together strategically to bring them down,” he declared.

Explaining his opposition to a party he once helped bring to power, he said he now sees it as a responsibility to work towards ending its tenure.

“Because I had helped in bringing these people to power, I am paying back that debt by making it my mission to bring an end to their time in power,” he said.

He also spoke on his recent political alignment with former rivals, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, under the ADC platform, describing it as part of the dynamics of politics.

“In politics, you have no permanent friend or permanent enemy. Our main concern now is to bring down this government that has destroyed this country and save our people together,” he said.