El-Rufai dangerous politician, avoid him, MBF tells Tinubu

The Middle Belt Forum, on Sunday, attacked the immediate-past governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, over a recent viral video in which he was captured explaining why he went for a Muslim deputy governor instead of a Christian.

The MBF, in a statement on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Isuwa Dogo, said El-Rufai�s remarks were anti-Christian, describing him as a dangerous politician that must be avoided by President Bola Tinubu.

In the video complained about, El-Rufai was captured telling some Islamic clerics on the eve of his final day in office, in Hausa language that �Why did I pick Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe to be my deputy in 2019? First, I did a thorough calculation that most of those that are not Muslims don�t vote for our party (the All Progressives Congress). Most of them. So, why should I give them the deputy (governor) position?

�I did my calculation and I knew we could win the election without giving them (position of deputy governor). That�s first. That�s a purely political issue. It�s politics. You want to win an election, you�re looking for people that will vote for you. We have observed that since we started practising democracy, we know places we used to win elections and those places we don�t. We�ve done that calculation politically. That�s the political point of it.�

The MBF, in its statement, said El-Rufai�s comment validated the fear of Islamisation in the country.

MBF said, �There is no doubt that this former governor remains a clear present and future danger to the unity of our nation. He is subtly working for a group that is unremittingly and persistently poised at installing the supremacy of the Islamic faith in the corridor of power.

�Both Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be wary of associating with him. He must not be allowed near the corridors of power.�

Furthermore, the MBF called on security agencies in the country �not only to place the former governor under their radar, but he should be invited by the secret police for a chat.�

�Considering the comments he made before the clerics, the man who suffers from an inferiority complex must be considered as a dangerous politician riding on the wings of religion for relevance. We hereby denounce El-Rufai�s comments before the clerics as a shameless act of national hypocrisy steeped in the premeditated plot to set adherents of both religions on war path,� it added.

El-Rufai�s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, neither took calls nor responded to a text message to get his principal�s reaction.