Aggrieved Persons In Aso Rock Against Tinubu’s Ambition – El Rufai, Says Currency Change Ill-Timed

By Ayodele Oni

Few days to the presidential election, the seat of government, Aso Rock, currently being occupied by President Mohammadu Buhari as the landlord, may be divided over the candidacy of Bola Tinubu, candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Buhari, who has about four months to complete his eight years tenure of two terms, is enjoying the privilege on the ticket of the APC.

What then can be responsible for the division of interest over Tinubu, who roundly won the APC presidential primary election last year?

Kaduna state Governor, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, has given an insight ascribing the development to some aggrieved persons that lost bid to install their crony as the APC flagbearer.

Governor El-Rufai  insisted that some “elements” in the Presidential Villa are against the presidential ambition of the APC flagbearer, Tinubu.

El-Rufai said they are against Tinubu because their preferred presidential aspirant was defeated in the primaries of the APC.

According to him, they are working on seeing the ruling party also defeated in the February presidential election.

While fielding questions on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday, he said such individuals are hiding behind President Muhammadu Buhari’s desire to do what he thinks is right.

He said, “I believe there are elements in the Villa that want us to lose the election because they didn’t get their way; they had their candidate. Their candidate did not win the primaries.

“They are trying to get us to lose the election, and they are hiding behind the president’s desire to do what he thinks is right.

“I will give two examples: this petroleum subsidy, which is costing the country trillions of Naira, was something that we all agreed would be removed.

“In fact, I had a discussion with the president and showed him why it had to go. Because how can you have a capital budget of N200b for federal roads and then spend N2 Trillion on petroleum subsidy?

“This was a conversation I had with the president in 2021 when the subsidy thing started rising.

He was convinced.

We left. It changed.

“Everyone in the government agreed, and it changed.

The second example I will give is this currency redesign.

You have to understand the president.

“People are blaming the Governor of the Central Bank for the currency redesign, but No. You have to go back and look at the first outing of Buhari as president.

“He did this; the Buhari, Idiagbon regime changed our currency and did it in secrecy with a view to catching those that are stashing away illicit funds.

“It is a very good intention.

The president has his right. But doing it at this time within the allotted time does not make any political or economic sense.”