Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna state
has dismissed insinuations that he is one of the power brokers in the
Muhammadu Buhari administration. The governor made the clarification while speaking to select journalists in Lagos recently.
Various
media reports have described the diminutive governor as one of the most
influential individuals in the scheme of things in As Rock.
But the governor dismissed the reports, saying he he is not one of those influencing things at the Presidential Villa. He
however said he is close to President Buhari due to their working
relationship when they were both members of the Congress for Progressive
Change (CPC).
His words: ‘’I worked very closely with him in the
CPC when everyone had given up on him. I know him, I know how he thinks
and he trusts me. He knows that I am driven by public interest. Do I
participate in federal decision making? I don’t.
‘’I am too busy
addressing Kaduna problems to be part of it. When I am called for an
opinion or when I happen to be around, and I have an input or if I see
something going seriously wrong; I drive and go and see Mr. President I
have heard A, B, C, D. I don’t think it is not right, you should
consider doing C, D, E. I do that and I drive back to Kaduna.
‘’My
primary assignment is Kaduna. I am not involved in the federal
government. People like to say and attribute so much to me, and
sometimes it is good for me, it gives me a larger than life image.''
The
governor confirmed that there is a cabal in Aso Rock, but made
reference to the fact that there is a cabal in every organisation.
‘’Even
in your own newspaper houses, there is a cabal. Nobody can run an
institution without a coterie of two, three, four trusted people.
‘’There
is always a cabal; the issue is whether it is a positive or a
disruptive cabal. Am I a member of the cabal? No, I am governor of
Kaduna state; I work for Kaduna state 24/7,’’ he added.
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