Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, stated on Saturday that Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai is not known for being a sycophant and has a reputation for speaking truth to power.
The governor remarked that El-Rufai was the only one who bravely insisted that Nigeria’s southern region win the presidency in 2023 for the sake of national cohesion and advancement.
In a message for the occasion, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the president-elect, described governor El-Rufai as a hard worker and noted that “give El-Rufai any task, he will deliver it.” Kashim Imam, a former chairman of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, served as Tinubu’s representative.
N20 million was given by Tinubu for the book launch.
The pair spoke on Saturday at a book presentation on El-Rufai in Kaduna for the book “Putting The People First,” written by seasoned journalist and public commentator Emmanuel Ado.
Eugenia Abu, a former top news anchor for the Nigerian Television Authority, reviewed the book.
Wike recalled El-Rufai’s contentious letter to President Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) from March 2017, in which he challenged Buhari to meet the expectations of the populace in order to avoid being on the wrong side of history.
As a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Governor El-Rufai, he continued, was an example of courage who could speak the truth to the authorities without worrying about the repercussions because he had never been known to be sycophantic.
The governor, who contributed N20 million to the book launch, urged attendees to buy the books and stock countrywide public and private school libraries with them.
At the same time, he urged Senator Uba Sani, the incoming governor of Kaduna State, to continue Governor El-Rufai’s work to advance the state’s greatness.
El-Rufai is a leader whose greatness, in his opinion, defies classification, he said. Governor El-Rufai exemplifies character, dedication, and perseverance. He is brave. He has a strong sense of justice, equity, and fairness and is brave and daring.
“El-Rufai is assertive in society and politics and is steadfast in his adherence to morality. No one has ever accused Governor El-Rufai of being a sycophant. I could recall his contentious letter to President Muhammad Buhari, particularly the one from March 2017 in which he urged him to meet the expectations of the populace in order to avoid being on the wrong side of history.
“I’m not sure how many governors will have the guts to write the president-elect of his party and say, “Look, do the right thing; be mindful of the expectations of the people so that you do not end up on the wrong side of history. It requires men with character and courage.
“No sycophant can pull that off. I’m not aware of anyone who is able to look at the president’s face. Mr. President is doing everything right. Mr. President is flawless. El-Rufai is not for you if that. His adherence to principles does not excuse him from telling the truth. And that is what this nation today needs in terms of leadership and good character.
“Those who will stare you down, not in an insulting manner, but to advise you that this is improper. And as a result, some of us are forced to empathize with him. You are aware of what took place in this nation. One of the APC governors, El-Rufai, boldly declared, “Look for the unity of this country; let the presidency go to the south for this country to advance.”
He does, after all, possess the necessary qualifications to declare that he will run for president of this nation. No can’t be said. However, he added, “We want unity to advance because this is the country we are building together.” How many people can put aside their personal interests and come out and say, “Let’s go to the South,” I don’t know. Therefore, we will assert that “agreement is agreement.” El-Rufai thinks that consent is consent. Follow the terms of our agreement.
It was raining heavily this morning, so when I saw the invitation, I said, “If it likes, let there be flood everywhere. I must be here today, to participate, honor a man who has shown character; who has shown that service is not just about getting elected. Being of service to your people is a privilege. He put Nigeria first because he wanted to put the people first. Your side of history is the right one.
“Keep in mind that people won’t talk about you until after you have left office. Not in the office, please. When you were the FCT Minister, people are still talking today. Compare them. I regret to inform you that Abuja today is not what it was when you were the FCT Minister.
“It wasn’t the same when you were the Minister of the FCT. We require individuals like you to restore Abuja to its former glory. Everyone wishes they could return to FCT. Go to FCT today, though, and garbage is everywhere. You didn’t have that when you were a minister. I’m sorry, but the truth must be said because this is your party.
“I think the significance of today’s event goes beyond just the book launch. It is more of a chance to recognize governor El-Rufai’s outstanding leadership, ground-breaking ideas, courage, dedication to duty, and contribution to the growth and development of Kaduna State and Nigeria over the course of his eight years in office.
El-Rufai also spoke, thanking Wike for all the good things said about him and adding, “God’s timing is the best. Our paths may not have crossed for very long before now. Wike’s comments about me apply to him as well. He is equally bold and fearless.
El-Rufai pledged to keep firing any bad actors in his administration and demolishing bad buildings up until the very last minute of his term as president on May 29.
“We will eliminate any negative elements we uncover so that the next governor won’t have to deal with them again. Watch out—we’ll continue to fire bad actors and get rid of bad things until the very last minute, when we’ll be leaving office.
