By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
The Southern Kaduna Youth and Students Forum (SKYSFOM) has urged Nigeria’s senate not to confirm the ministerial nomination of former governor Nasir El-Rufai by President Bola Tinubu.
The forum, in a petition signed by it’s national president, Mr Shedrach Danladi, and addressed to the President of the Senate, Mr Godswill Akpabio, described El-Rufai as a ‘divisive leader’ who doesn’t have the interest of the nation at heart.
“We are a group of people whose interest is in promoting peace, unity and progress of Nigeria.
“Our interest is bordering on the fact that at this moment, the nation needs to be very deliberate and careful in selecting her leaders.
“Mallam Nasiru El’rufai has over the years conducted himself as a divisive leader who does not have the interest of the stability of Nigeria at heart.
“His disposition to building a peaceful and united Nigeria is zero, and he remains a very controversial character in the Nigerian polity whose utterances and actions have stirred alot of negative energy in time past and even recently,” the petition read
It stated that Nigeria is in dire need of leaders who will demonstrate and promote, unity, compassion, empathy, inclusiveness, justice and fairness and not the reverse for which El-Rufai represents.
SKYSFOM noted that the former governor’s track record of religious intolerance, extremism and disrespect for the rule of law made him unfit to serve the nation as a minister.
It alluded to El-Rufai’s alleged recent comments in a viral video on enthroning Muslim domination both in Kaduna and at the federal level as proof.
“Characters like El-Rufa’i are capable of dividing, disuniting and setting Nigeria on fire like he did in Kaduna state, where religious intolerance, distrust amongst citizens is now the order of the day.
“You recall that few months ago, El-Rufai became a national discourse following his inflammatory and inciteful comments in a viral video against the Christian population in Kaduna State, while justifying his same faith ticket legacy.
“His inflammatory statements captured on that viral video alone should propel the Senate not to confirm his nomination because, like in Kaduna State, he will surely repeat same at National level which will not be healthy to us as a Nation.
“Kaduna state is yet to recover from El-Rufai’s religious bigotry, extremism and intolerance legacies, Nigeria should not be his next victim,” it added
The group enjoined the 10th senate to prioritize the stability of the nation over everything else by ensuring that only true patriots are given the nod to serve as ministers.
