The Presidency has dared former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to release the response he received from the Office of the National Security Adviser to his letter alleging importation of a deadly poison, insisting that he is being mischievous by releasing his own letter while hiding the reply.
Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, on Sunday, accused El-Rufai of playing games with his claim that the Office of the National Security Adviser procured approximately 10 kilograms of Thallium Sulphate from a supplier in Poland.
“Mallam Nasir El-Rufai is playing games and, in his typical fashion, also playing to the gallery. He knew there was no government procurement or importation of Thallium sulphate into Nigeria from Poland through the office of the National Security Adviser,” Ajayi said.
The Presidential aide disclosed that the former governor received a response to his letter and should make it public.
“El-Rufai certainly got a reply to his letter from the NSA’s office, and he should be honourable enough to release it just as he mischievously released his own letter,” Ajayi stated.
According to Ajayi, El-Rufai has two clear intentions behind his recent actions and tantrums.
“One, to create political tension in the country, create an atmosphere of fear and unrest, and then damage the government through deliberate misinformation. Two, to divert attention from his domestic problems in Kaduna State, where he is facing massive corruption allegations,” Ajayi said.
The Presidential aide explained that El-Rufai wants to nationalise his personal problems with his home state government to draw attention to himself and project himself as a victim of persecution, knowing that Nigerians will not be on his side over corruption charges.
“The problem here is not President Bola Tinubu and Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser. The question should be asked: how did El-Rufai lose almost everyone in the state he governed for 8 years?” Ajayi queried.
He noted that El-Rufai lost the support of the state’s critical stakeholders, including Governor Uba Sani, who was once his political soulmate.
“He lost the governor, who had once been his political soulmate, a man he had supported to become a Senator of the Federal Republic and, later, the Governor after him, even if half-heartedly. El-Rufai lost the entire 28 members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, who unanimously endorsed a petition to both the ICPC and the EFCC to probe him over N432 billion corruption allegations, for which both agencies have invited him,” Ajayi added.
The statement advised El-Rufai to face the corruption allegations rather than engage in diversions.
“Instead of behaving like a drowning man holding on to a straw to stay afloat, Mallam El-Rufai should brace up to face his corruption allegations and make peace with himself and his own people,” Ajayi said.
El-Rufai is scheduled to honour an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday over the corruption allegations. The Office of the National Security Adviser has not issued an official response to the allegations regarding the Thallium Sulphate importation as of the time of this report.
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