The Northern Nigeria Minorities Group (NNMG) condemns in the strongest possible terms the reckless allegation by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, suggesting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu intends to extend his tenure beyond the constitutionally guaranteed eight years.
It is our well considered view that the former governor, now effectively one of Nigeria’s content creators, is talking simply out of malice, pure bitterness, recklessness, frustration and an affront to democracy.
A critical analysis of the former governor’s political trajectory shows a character trait of a man at war with himself.
•El-Rufai’s Real Problem is Bitterness, Not Principle – We ask a simple question: if El-Rufai had been appointed into President Tinubu’s ministerial team, would he still be making these wild allegations? Everyone knows the answer. His rant is nothing more than sour grapes from a man who feels sidelined and irrelevant.
•A Pattern of Treachery – From his days in government to his endless political scheming, El-Rufai has shown himself as a man addicted to betrayal and blackmail. He thrives on heating up the polity with lies when his personal ambitions are not served.
•Constitution Cannot Be Blackmailed – Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution is crystal clear on the tenure of a President. No amount of El-Rufai’s propaganda can alter that reality. His attempt to drag the country into a needless fear-mongering is both treacherous and dangerous.
•Enemy of Stability – At a time when Nigeria needs unity, focus, and healing, El-Rufai has once again positioned himself as a destabilizing agent. His words are not those of a statesman but of a bitter man desperate to remain in the headlines.
We therefore declare as follows;
1. That Nasir El-Rufai should retract his lies and tender an apology to Nigerians for deliberately trying to poison the political atmosphere.
2. That, Nigerians must treat his words with contempt, recognizing them as nothing more than the wailings of a rejected politician.
3. That, Security agencies should place individuals like El-Rufai under strict watch, as their reckless statements are capable of sparking unnecessary tension.
The minorities of Northern Nigeria will resist any attempt, whether by tenure elongation or by bitter politicians sowing confusion, to derail our democracy.
Nigeria’s future is too important to be held hostage by one man’s bitterness or a conspiracy of political elite group of profiteers.
Chief Jacob Edi Kakaki Bassa-Nge Convener
Northern Nigeria Minorities Group
This “reformist” statement on selected but less weighty issues that threatens our democracy is inimical to “democracy activism” whereas elements such as Wike tears down the very fabric of constitutional governance to your applause. The Northern Minorities that are not serviced by any of these dramatis persone can chose to be quiet…