Life President Comment: Niger APC Chieftain Vatsa Slams El-Rufai, Says He Has Lost Political Relevance.
From Our Correspondent.
Jonathan Vatsa, a former commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, and a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Niger State, has criticized the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai, for his recent remarks suggesting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may seek to become a “life president” if re-elected in 2027. Vatsa described El-Rufai’s comments as the actions of a “wounded lion.”
In an interview in Minna on Tuesday, Vatsa urged Nigerians to dismiss El-Rufai’s statements, asserting that the former governor is behaving like a wounded lion after being excluded from Tinubu’s cabinet.
He emphasized that El-Rufai’s past actions, which contributed to his omission from the ministerial list, have left him mentally disoriented.
Vatsa pointed out that during El-Rufai’s tenure as governor, the people of Kaduna State became sharply divided along ethnic and religious lines, leading to unprecedented violence.
He stated, “The El-Rufai era in Kaduna witnessed the highest rate of bloodshed in the state’s history. The world saw how he unleashed bandits and terrorists on the people of southern Kaduna. Blood flowed freely in Kaduna during his governorship.”
He asserted that any political party associated with El-Rufai will struggle to win elections in both Kaduna State and across the country, reflecting the public’s discontent with his administration. “He misruled the state, and the people have not forgiven him,” Vatsa said.
Vatsa contended that El-Rufai should quietly retire from politics since he has lost political relevance following his significant misgovernance in Kaduna. “Under El-Rufai’s leadership, APC lost the last presidential election in Kaduna State, which underscores how politically irrelevant he is,” he added.
The outspoken APC stalwart noted that if El-Rufai had been granted a ministerial position by President Tinubu, the negative comments and criticism would likely not have arisen.
He described El-Rufai’s actions as those of a “bad loser.”
Vatsa concluded by stating that El-Rufai’s “life president” propaganda will not hinder President Tinubu’s chances of re-election in 2027, as power must remain in the south for the full eight years before potentially returning to the north in 2031. “An agreement is an agreement, whether written or verbal.
The unity of this country is more important than any selfish interests of individual regions,” he emphasized.
