By Gideon Njoku
“We are aware of your aspiration to be President of this country. We look forward to further engagement so that we can progress that aspiration”
Perhaps moved by his condolence visit over the attack on an Abuja-Kaduna bound Train, and a donation of the sum of N50m to the State Government, Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai seem to have turned positively around for Bola Tinubu, former Lagos State Governor and a Presidential aspirant under the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Tinubu and El-Rufai have not always seen eye to eye politically after the initial romance that gave birth to APC. On, at least, two occasions, El-Rufai had indirectly tackled Tinubu, once in the city of Lagos. He had urged Lagosians to kick out the godfather.
But it was a different El-Rufai on Tuesday when Tinubu visited him in Kaduna. He was full of praises for the APC Presidential front-runner. He said Tinubu, by his visit, has shown good leadership. He said Tinubu’s visit and donation were unprecedented, and added that Kaduna State and its will never forget.
El-Rufai said Tinubu had beaten him to it, as he had planned to visit Tinubu to thank and appreciate him for cancelling his 70th birthday Colloquium(13th in the series) on March 28, in honour of the victims of the horrendous attack on the Kaduna bound Train.
El-Rufai: “This gesture by Asiwaju is a show of powerful leadership, empathy and concern for the lives and property of Nigerians. It’s unprecedented in our history in Nigeria. The Government and people of Lagos State will never forget this gesture. We are very grateful to you for service, sacrifice and commitment to the unity of our country.”
On Tinubu’s Presidential aspiration, El-Rufai said: “We are aware of your aspiration to be President of this country. We look forward to further engagement so that we can progress that aspiration.”
A couple of weeks ago, El-Rufai had indirectly endorsed the Minister for Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, when he said he was not interested in running for any office in 2023, but would agree, if pressurised by President Muhammadu Buhari, to run on same ticket with Amaechi.
On the state of the Nation, both men agreed Nigeria has become a mess.
El-Rufai: “Nigeria is at crossroad, critical crossroad, and we must take very critical decisions to get the right leaders that would take us out of the multiple quagmire that we are going through. These are human challenges, and they can be solved by human ingenuity.”
President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to visit Kaduna since after the invasion, by terrorists of the Kaduna International Airport on Saturday, March 26, and the bombing of the Train on March 28.
At least, eight people lost their lives in the attack, 25 people were injured, and over 100 people remain unaccounted for.
