So-called Northern Elders Are Paperweights, Northern Govs Are Real Elders – el-Rufai

Barely 48 hours after alleging that there were certain persons or ‘elements’ in the Presidential Villa working against the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidental candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, has again accused northern elders of working against power shift to the South through the 2023 general elections.

This is even as he described the Northern elders as mere paperweights who cannot swing votes in anyone’s favour, declaring that the 19 governors of the Northern States were the real elders of the North.

He also promised to unmask the identifies of the ‘elements’ in Aso Rock and their collaborators working against the electoral victory of the ruling APC whenever they cross the line.

Governor el-Rufai spoke in an interview he granted to the BBC Hausa Service morning programme on Friday monitored by our correspondents.

“All these conspiracies and hypocrisy is by people of the North. They want to portray us as ungrateful people especially we the Northern governors advocating for power shift to the South and support for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,” el-Rufai stated.

When asked who are the Northern people responsible for the conspiracy, el-Rufai said he won’t mention any name now, however, adding that it does not mean they were afraid of anyone either, save for respecting deserving elders only.

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When asked whether he was afraid of the cabal in Aso Rock, el-Rufai also said they were not afraid because the ‘elements’ have been responsible for ill-advising President Muhammadu Buhari for some time now while the same people were the ones benefiting from the ruling APC, declaring that they will stop them soon.

He pointed out that the governors were not against Naira redesign policy but pointed out that the short time-frame given to Nigerians to swap their old banknotes with new ones as one of the wrong advices given to President Buhari to tarnish the APC ahead of the 2023 general elections.

“Let me tell you, with all these sabotage and conspiracies, this coming 2023 election, by the grace of God, we have already won. Because God knows our hearts, He knows our plans for Nigeria, He knows our plans for Northern Nigeria, so that we can show the people of Southern Nigeria that we are not ungrateful people and that we return good deed with good deed because Asiwaju has done good us,” el-Rufai further said.

When reminded that the Northern elders he criticised might be his undoing when next he will be vying for any political office, Governor el-Rufai said he will only seek favour from God and ordinary Nigerians when the time comes.

“Leave those people they call elders. I am 62 year-old now, I will be 63 later this month. That was the same age Prophet Muhammad (SAW) finished his work and passed away. I am also an elder, nobody will tell me he is an elder. If you see me kneeling down to greet anyone, it’s because of respect and that’s what I do for Baba Buhari, but tell me if you have ever seen me doing same for others older than him. I know a real elder and I know the bad one.

“I am 63 too, I have children and grandchildren, I am also an elder. So, who are the Northern elders? They should come out and contest for elections. I was elected twice. Those claiming to be elders, ask them if they had ever contested for any election even councilorship position. They are liars, it’s we the Northern Governors that are the real Northern elders and leaders of the region.

“The battleline has been drawn, we are determined, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be the next President, and we will disgrace them,” el-Rufai declared.