EL-RUFAI ACCUSES MINIMAH OF PLOTTING TO RIG FOR JONATHAN

The Kaduna State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has alleged that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, has vowed to employ the use soldiers and the equipment of the army to manipulate the Saturday’s presidential elections in favour of President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). El-Rufai, who made this known in a statement on his official Facebook and Twitter pages in the early hours of Thursday, said he was “deeply worried by reports that the leaders of the security sector have jettisoned every appearance of impartiality for Saturday’s presidential election.” In the nine-paragraph statement entitled, “Open letter to all Nigerians: It’s time to stand up for Nigeria,” the former Minister of the FCT said some army generals and security chiefs had vowed to protect Jonathan from defeat.

BUHARI WILL INHERIT A SICK ECONOMY, SAYS EL-RUFAI

The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, said the presidential candidate of the APC, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), will inherit a sick economy when elected as President in the February.
El-Rufai noted that he would inherit a bankrupt state if eventually elected as the chief executive officer of Kaduna State in the February 28 poll.
The former minister of the Federal Capital Territory spoke at an Organised Private Sector interactive session on Tuesday in Kaduna.
He said the state was reeling under domestic liabilities totalling N106bn owed to various sources.

I’LL GOVERN KADUNA WITH JUSTICE, FEAR OF GOD, SAYS EL-RUFAI

The former minister of Federal Capital Territory and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Kaduna State has urged the people of Kaduna State to shun attacks on his person, saying he intends to run a government of justice and fear of God if given the opportunity.
El-Rufai who spent close to two weeks in Southern Kaduna told members of his party to jettison politics of blackmail and bitterness.
The former minister, who addressed APC members in Kafanchan, also condemned killings in the area which he described as ungodly and desecration of humanity.
On the way forward for Kaduna State, El-Rufai said, “We shouldn’t personalise issues, it is not about El-Rufai, it is about the state and the people. It is about getting capable leadership to run government with justice, fear of God and vision.

ORITSEJAFOR ‘TAINTED, JITTERY’, SAYS EL-RUFAI

Former minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has described president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Ayo Oritsejafor, as “tainted and jittery” over the seizure of his plane stacked with $9.3m for the purchase of arms in South Africa. El-Rufai accused the CAN leader of involving himself in “politics of division”, hence a degradation of his position. Earlier on Monday, CAN had lashed into el-Rufai, Lai Mohammed and the All Progressives Congress, accusing them of “launching a blackmail” on its leader for the purpose of hiding their possible links with Boko Haram. However, on Wednesday, the former FCT minister, speaking through his media advisor, Mayowa Adekeye, implored the government to clarify its involvement in Monday’s attempted secret purchase of arms without permission of South African authorities, using a plane that Oritsejafor has admitted “holding an interest in“. “When light unexpectedly shines on murkiness, those exposed by the stinging rays often berate the light rather than regret the muck.

EL-RUFAI DECLARES FOR KADUNA GUBER RACE

Former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja and Chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, Malam Nasir El-Rufai yesterday visited Fadan Kagoma, home town of former governor of Kaduna state, late Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa where he formally declared his gubernatorial ambition for the race in the state.
El-Rufai, who spoke at the palace of Kpop Gwong, Col. Paul Zakka Wyoms (rtd) said he was at the palace to formally inform people of Gwong Chiefdom his gubernatorial ambition which he said hinged on justice, responsible and sensitive leadership in taking the state to another level.
He noted that justice is paramount in development and unity of any nation.
The former minister also paid tribute to the memory of late Yakowa who he described as a responsible and sincere leader whose death left a big vacuum in the polity of the state.
“I come here to formally inform you of our decision to seek the highest office in our dear state. It is a demonstration of deep commitment to the peace, development and unity of Kaduna state.

I WILL JOIN PDP WHEN SATAN CONVERTS TO ISLAM— EL RUFAI

Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has said that he will consider the option of defection to the People Democratic Party, PDP when satan repents and converts to Islam.
He made the assertion in reply to a question by one of his followers on twitter, stressing that he will hardly take the option. This is coming in the wake of the defection of his friend and former Presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
El-Rufai is a former stalwart of the PDP and served the government during the Olusegun Obasanjo tenure.

EL-RUFAI LOSES SON IN ABUJA ROAD CRASH

Tragedy hit the home of the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, in the early morning of Tuesday when his son, Hamsa, died in a road crash in Abuja.
The former minister, who is a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress, announced this on his Facebook page.
He asked Nigerians to help pray for the repose of the soul of Hamsa.
El-Rufai wrote, “From Allah we came and to him we shall return. Please join our family in praying for the repose of the soul of my son, Hamza El-Rufai, who died this morning in a motor accident in Abuja.”
Source: Punch

NIGERIA UNDER SERIOUS THREAT –EL-RUFAI

Nigerians have been called upon to ensure that the best of hands are ruling them, in order not to be destroyed by both political and economic corruption.
Making the appeal in Lagos yesterday was the former Federal Capital Territory, FCT, minister, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, while delivering a lecture on ‘Corruption and the Challenge of Good Governance’ at the national discourse, organised by The Companion.
According to him, the country is in great danger because corruption stifles good governance, as resources that should go towards improving public good end up in private pockets or are unaccounted for.
“Once government is seen as ‘corruptly’ managing public resources, the entire essence of good governance is lost and the society is in grave danger,” he said.
He urged all well-meaning Nigerians to fight corruption before it destroys the fundamental nature of our society and all that we stand for.

EL-RUFAI TO CONTEST IN KADUNA GUBER POLL

Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Nasir el-Rufai, will formally declare his intention to contest in the Kaduna State governorship election in 2015.
Briefing journalists yesterday in Kaduna, one of el-Rufai’s associates and a frontline politician, Alhaji Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi, said his team was working and promoting the former minister who would soon make his intention known to Kaduna people.
Hunkuyi, who denied nursing governorship ambition, vowed that whosoever emerges as the candidate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would defeat Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero with a landslide victory.

APC ‘LL TAKE-OVER OF NASS BY MARCH –EL-RUFAI

The All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday declared that the party would take over the National Assembly leadership both in the Senate and House of Representatives before the end of March.
APC’s Interim Deputy National Secretary, Nasir El- Rufai who revealed this in Kaduna, said efforts to stop or block 11 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP defecting senators to APC by Senate President, David Mark, would not yield results.
Speaking with journalists after acquiring his APC membership card at registration unit 015 at the Yobe State Liaison Office on Katuru Road, Kaduna, El-Rufai said some lawmakers in the House of Representatives who defected to PDP on Tuesday had problems with their state governors.

ASARI-DOKUBO IS A THUG – EL-RUFAI

The Interim Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Nasir El-Rufai, on Saturday referred to ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo as a thug, saying there was no basis for comparing both of them.
El-Rufai said this during an interview withSahara TV, while responding to a question on his 15-hour interrogation by the State Security Service.
When the one-time Minister of the Federal Capital Territory was asked if the name of Asari-Dokubo came up during the interrogation, he said no, and stressed that he could not have mentioned Asari-Dokubo’s name because their personalities were not comparable.
“Asari Dokubo is a thug. I don’t compare myself to him. I’ve never taken up arms against the state. I’m a normal human, law-abiding Nigerian. I don’t compare myself with thugs,” El-Rufai said.

EL-RUFAI BOUNCES BACK, SPEAKS ON ORDEAL IN SSS DEN

All Progressives Congress (APC) Interim Deputy National Secretary, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has given an insight into his ordeal in the hands of Nigeria’s secret police. The former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, who surrendered to the State Security Service (SSS) yesterday after a three-day stand-off, was released around midnight after being held for more than 15 hours and left the SSS premises at in Asokoro, Abuja, at 12:35 a.m.
On how he found his interrogation, he tweeted about an hour ago: “great fun but boring.”
In another tweet, El-Rufai disclosed that he is on his way to Lagos but did not disclose his mission.

EL-RUFAI REMAINS IN SSS CUSTODY AFTER 12 HOURS OF INTERROGATION

A former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, remained in the custody of the State Security Service, SSS, late Mondayafter more than 12 hours of questioning over his comments about electoral violence in 2015.
Mr. El-Rufai voluntarily walked into the SSS headquarters at about 9 a.m Monday, three days after the agency launched a manhunt for him. He was accompanied by the Rivers State governor, Chibuike Amaechi, and a serving senator, Chris Ngige.
Mr. El-Rufai remained at the headquarters of the Service as of 9 p.m, according to a security source.
It remained unclear if he would be made to spend the night at the facility.
The source said Mr. Amaechi, who was also allowed access into the SSS office, later left at about 12 p.m, while Mr. Ngige left two hours later.
One of Mr. El-Rufai’s wives, who accompanied him, also left subsequently as she was disallowed access to her husband, the source said.

SSS UNCOVERS EL-RUFAI’S HIDEOUT •AWAITS HIS APPEARANCE ON MONDAY

Department of State Security Services (SSS) has uncovered the hideout of the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai in Abuja as the face-off between the former minister and the security agency entered day three.
A source in the service told the Sunday Tribune that operatives have located the former minister who is believed to be hiding in the home of his friend at Minister’s Hill, Maitama, Abuja.
Operatives of the service had, on Friday, invaded the Abuja home of Mallam el-Rufai following his failure to honour an invitation extended to him on Thursday.
The former minister was invited by the SSS to explain the provocative statement credited to him in a media report on Thursday. But he was nowhere near the house when the operatives visited.

EL-RUFAI DARES SSS, VOWS NOT TO OBEY SUMMONS

All Progressives Congress (APC) Interim Deputy National Secretary, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has vowed not to report at the headquarters of the State Security Service (SSS) this morning as requested by the Nigerian secret police.
The SSS, also known as Department of State Service (DSS), had yesterday invited el-Rufai to appear at its headquarters in Abuja this morning over a statement attributed to him in one of the country’s national newspapers that “the next election is likely to be violent and many people are likely going to die. And the only alternative left to get power is to take it by force, this is the reality on the ground.”

SSS SUMMONS EL-RUFAI OVER PROVOCATIVE STATEMENT

The State Security Service has invited the Deputy National Secretary, All Progressives Congress, Malam Nasir El-rufai, to appear at its headquarters in Abuja on Friday over a statement attributed to him in the Thursday edition of ThisDay newspapers.
The former FCT Minister was said to have been invited to clarify the statement, where he was quoted to have said, “The next election is likely to be violent and many people are likely going to die. And the only alternative left to get power is to take it by force, this is the reality on the ground.”
El-Rufai had warned that the 2015 general elections would be marred by riots and other forms of violence that might lead to loss of lives and property except the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies were ready to hold free and fair elections.

EL-RUFAI NAMES TOP PERSONALITIES ON WATCH LIST

A fresh round of controversy has greeted the purported watch list of President Goodluck Jonathan with a former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, identifying himself and four others as some of those on the list.
El-Rufai’s tweet on Thursday evening triggered another controversy when he wrote that he was number seven on the alleged Jonathan’s snipers’ watch list.
In the tweet, El-Rurai identified four others: a former military head of state, General (Retd) Muhammadu Buhari; a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu; the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and a former Osun State Governor and Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, as also making the list.
But Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, on Friday described El-Rufai’s claim as sheer irresponsible talk.

EL-RUFAI HAS CASE TO ANSWER, EFCC TELLS COURT

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, told an Abuja High Court that the former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nasir el-Rufai, has case to answer in court.
This is just as it asked the court to strike out the no-case applications brought by el-Rufai and two of his co-accused seeking to quash a case of abuse of office brought against them by the anti graft agency.
Others charged alongside el-Rufai were Altine Jibrin, former Director-General of the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) and its former General Manager, Ismail Iro.
They were charged for illegal conversion of Plot 1201, a land meant for the building of a transmitting/injection sub-station for the PHCN in Asokoro.

CAN GIVES EL-RUFAI 7 DAYS TO REVEAL SOURCE OF ORITSEJAFOR’S PRIVATE JET

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has given a seven day ultimatum to former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mallam Nasir el-rufai to tell Nigerians the person that gave Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, the President of CAN, a private jet or risk having his dirty character exposed to the public.
CAN also advised the former FCT minister to go for a psychiatric test, in response to comments made by him in the September 14, 2013 edition of a national daily entitled: “My Problem With Atiku, Obasanjo – El-Rufai” concerning the CAN president Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor wherein he made snide remarks about Oritsejafor’s credibility.
In the interview El-Rufai had described Oritsejafor, among others, as a pretender, a ethnic bigot, a person devoid of credibility and a PDP chief propagandist.

THIRD TERM FUND: ANTI-GRAFT AGENCIES TO QUIZ EL-RUFAI

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have started comparing notes, preparatory to a possible arrest of former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rafai, over statements credited to him about the sharing of money meant to prosecute the alleged third term bid of former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

Sources said in Abuja, on Sunday, that the anti-graft agencies were interested in el- Rufai’s claim that he knew the treasurer of the alleged third term project.

The former minister had, in an interview on the African Independent Television(AIT) programme, Focus Nigeria, said he was part of those who shared the money.