By: Mohammed Oluwatimileyin Taoheed
Governor Nasir El-rufai may have denied supporters of Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi access to Arewa House in Kaduna due to past grievances.
Recall our earlier report that the Peter Obi Support Network (POSN) had attacked Governor El-Rufai for allegedly ordering the leadership of Arewa House to disallow the group access to the venue it paid for.
As seen in a statement issued by Sani Altukry, the POSN’s Spokesperson, it is said that El Rufai reportedly called the Manager of Arewa House to notify the POSN spokesman of the unavailability of the venue for the Peter-Datti Northern Summit.
He explained: “The summit is not a political campaign of any sort, but a convergence of volunteers, would-be volunteers, and supporters of the Obi-Datti project for necessary interaction and cross-fertilization of ideas.”
Facts have now emerged, revealing that the governor’s action may not be unconnected with Obi’s restriction of El-Rufai’s movement during a governorship election in Anambra State close to a decade ago.
A Kaduna Government source told Track News Nigeria that “all is fair in love and war,” recalling how, in 2013, during the Anambra governorship poll, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) confined El-Rufai to his hotel room, reportedly on Obi’s orders.
He maintained: “The table has turned. Nine years ago, Mallam (El-Rufai) was kept at Finotel in Awka against his will when he arrived Anambra to monitor the election in which the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr. Chris Ngige, was contesting.
“So, this time around, we are protecting the place and the organisers against any breakdown of the law. If anything happens to the attendees or the premises, the Kaduna State government would be held responsible. As a responsible Chief Security Officer of the state, the governor decided on that measure. I did not say you should quote me.”
