Lagos godfather’s comment: I’ve no apologies to make ― el-Rufai

The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai has said that he owes nobody any apologies for his comments about how to end the politics of godfathers.

Some had criticized the governor over his remark in Lagos recently which was interpreted to have been targeted at the All Progressive Congress (APC) National Leader and perceived godfather of Lagos politics, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Responding to a question on how to end godfatherism in Lagos politics at an event organised by the Bridge Club tagged, “An evening with His Excellency, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State,” the Kaduna Governor had said: “Godfatherism, this is Lagos. Let me tell you something sir; you know, Kaduna State used to be like that. There were three or four politicians in Kaduna that you could not become anything unless you had them on your side. Those were the godfathers of Kaduna politics and you had to carry them along and you know, the three words, ‘carry them along’ mean paying them regularly.

“But we chose a different path and the long and short of it now is that after this election in 2019, we have retired all of them; we had to.”

He had urged politicians to go straight to the people well before elections to bypass godfathers.

However, following the criticism of his statement from some quarters, el-Rufai maintained that he has no apologies to make.

Speaking to State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja, he said: “I made comments in Lagos about how to retire godfathers. It’s a template that we have used in Kaduna and it has worked.

“If anybody thinks he is a godfather, the template may apply to him but I am not in dispute with anyone.

“I expressed my views firmly and very clearly. There is no human being that I am afraid to express my views on, and when I am ready to express my views specifically on a particular name, then I will do so. But i haven’t.

“I made a general statement but people have gone into overdrive, creating fake news, abusing me and so on. I am thick-skin, I can take the abuse and I will wait for my time.”

el-Rufai Howe’s added that ha has no dispute with Tinubu as co-members of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

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He added: “There is no dispute between me and anyone in the APC, The APC is one family. I don’t dispute with my own party. They may dispute with me but I don’t. We are in the same party, we get along very well as I know.

Asked whether he wanted Tinubu retired from politics, the Governor added: “I don’t know if he is the godfather of Lagos. It’s up to him to say that. What I know for sure is that we have retired godfathers in Kaduna and I have told those that asked me the question that there are six million registered voters in Lagos but only one million voted in the last election.

“So, there are five million people that you can bring into the electoral playground and you can defeat anyone if you work hard. It’s hard work, it’s four years. That is what I said and if anyone feels offended by that, that is his business or her business.”

Asked whether he wanted Lagos to follow the Kaduna template, he further said: “I have not made recommendations to Lagos. I am the governor of Kaduna State. I know Kaduna politics pretty well and I played my role in my party towards the success of the party.

I have made not recommendation for anyone. I am just saying. If I am asked a question and I gave an answer, anyone that feels offended by the answer, it’s his own business.

“I have no apologies, I don’t apologize for my views. My views are thought-out and I put them there. I don’t have to explain anything to anyone.

“This is a democracy, and in a democratic space, there must be room for people express their views. You can disagree, you can abuse me if you don’t like my views but that is it.”