By Baron Ike
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has threatened to pull out of the peace accord signed by its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar if the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led government of President Muhammadu Buhari did not take seriously the recnt comment by Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state, threatening foreigners with death.
Also speaking strongly on the matter were senators Shehu Sani of Kaduna State and Ben MUrray-Bruce of Bayelsa State. Bothy senators said the comment was worth a severe sanction.
El-Rufai said on Tuesday in a late-night TV programme that anyone who is sent to the country from the international community to interfere with the nation’s affairs would return in a body bag.
Will President Buhari save these election monitors from El-Rufai’s body bag threat?
In a statement on Wednesday by the PDP spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party called on the international community to impose a travel ban on El-Rufai, for his “inciting” remark.
The PDP said: “Nigerians are still in a shock over comments by the Governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, who declared on a national television that members of the global democratic institutions that are working for a peaceful election in Nigeria will return to their countries in body bags. What a threat?
“We call on the international community to immediately impose a travel ban on el-Rufai for this inciting comment against peaceful elections in our country.
“Also of particular note is the plot to redeploy, a former Chief Security Officer to APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, CP Kayode Egbetokun, as Kwara state Commissioner of Police, where he has been handed the instruction to incite the people, cause pandemonium and pave the way for outright rigging in favour of President Buhari and all other candidates on the platform of APC.
“This is in line with plans by the Buhari Presidency and the APC to effect a mass deployment of top security officers, particularly the police, to intimidate, harass and manhandle Nigerians that will not support the self-succession bid of President Muhammadu Buhari as well as aiding APC thugs to snatch ballot boxes and orchestrate violence in the elections.
“We therefore call on the National Peace Committee to immediately summon el-Rufai on his inflammatory remarks against peaceful election in our country,” the party said.
Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) attacked El-Rufai, for his threat to kill anyone sent to the country by the international community to monitor the general elections.
He condemned the governor and the APC via Twitter on Wednesday.
“The threat to kill foreigners who ‘interfere’ in Nigeria’s elections is a condemnable act. Nigerians & the Intl community must take this seriously. D sources & plots of violence is now clear. While our mind is set on ballot boxes & votes, their’s is set on bulets, bodybags & coffins,” Sani wrote.
Also, Senator Murray-Bruce urged President Buhari and the APC to reject El-Rufai over the wicked and thoughtless comment.
Murray-Bruce tweeted on Wednesday: “Is this madness? President @MBuhari if you don’t reject this evil, this fellow will bring your government into disrepute! Never in Nigeria’s history have we ever had such recklessness in a public official. I urge @OfficialAPCNg to publicly repudiate this.”
Do these EU election monitors want to be sent to their countries in body bags based on El-Rufai’s threat?
But in what looks like a face saving rebuttal, El-Rufai, in a statement on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Samuel Aruwan, said: “He stood up for Nigeria’s dignity in the wake of those who would traduce their country and reduce it to the status of a colony in their vain quest for power.”