Ortom accuses El-Rufai of misleading Buhari

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has described his Kaduna State counterpart, Nasir el-Rufai, as among those who mislead President Muhammadu Buhari.

Responding to el-Rufai, who accused him of using the insecurity in Benue to attack the Federal Government, just to cover his failure, he described the Kaduna helmsman as a sycophant, ethnic champion and religious bigot who hates anyone who does not share the same faith with him.

Ortom’s Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, stated yesterday: “El-Rufai is one of the real enemies of this country who do not hide their divisive tendencies by elevating nepotism and ethnicity above the good values that have held Nigeria together over the decades.

“He is a man who has failed in several aspects as Governor of Kaduna and has no moral justification to accuse another governor. A governor, who has divided the good people of Kaduna against one another by not hiding his hatred for indigenes of the state on account of religion and ethnicity, is not qualified to judge another governor on any issue whatsoever.”

For choosing a Muslim deputy in a state where Christians have a huge population, Ortom noted: “El-Rufai is certainly not one to preach unity and peaceful co-existence.”

“How has he handled his own problems in Kaduna? This is a man who has insulted almost every prominent Nigerian, including the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and former President Olusegun Obasanjo – his former boss and one who brought him to limelight”.

“Nigerians have not forgotten the unprintable things el-Rufai said during Goodluck Jonathan’s time as President. He insulted the then President and publicly supported terrorists attacking parts of the country.

His statements on the abduction of Chibok girls and several other acts of terrorism are still fresh in our minds. El-Rufai is on record to have said repeatedly that Fulani people must retaliate any wrong done to them no matter how long it takes,” Ortom noted.