All is not currently well with the North-west zonal chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) even as the Chairman of the zone, Inuwa Abdul-Kadir, alleged that the Kaduna state governor Mallam El-rufai had threatened to beat him up.
The zonal chairman also accused the former governor of Kano state Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso inconjunction with the Kaduna state governor of attempt to pull him down at all cost
Addressing a news conference on Friday in Abuja, Abdul-Kadir, who was responding to the allegations raised against him by the zonal Woman leader, Hajia Aishat Kaita, that he embezzled campaign funds among others, revealed that both Kwankwaso and El-rufai were behind his ordeal.
He said: “A week before she issued the press statement, the Media Assistant to Mallam Nasir El-rufai, the governor of Kaduna state that the duo of Samuel Aruwan and Muyiwa Adekeye, disclosed to one of their colleagues in the media who reliable informed me that Mallam El-rufai intended to take on me over the APC crisis in Kaduna state.
“The media Assistant further disclosed that everything will be done to ensure that I am pull down,and this they intended to achieve by teaming up with Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso the former governor ofKano state. According to them, Senator Kwankwaso too is aggrieved by the party’s decision in respect of the chairmanship position in Kano state.
“However, this did not surprise me because of the previous encounters I had with their principal (Mallam Nasir El-Rufai) and his threat and outbursts.”
Speaking on the crisis rocking the party in Kaduna state, the zonal chairman revealed that “on several occasions, I had meetings with him (El-Rufai) where as the leader of the party in the zone made passionate appeal for him to take leadership and drive a process that harmonise, reconcile and solidify the party in the state.
“One of such occasions appeal I made was in the presence of other governors from the zone in his office but his reaction was volatile and he threatened to beat me up and prevent me from coming into Kaduna.
“I kept my calm as a leader considering the volatility of Kaduna and the attendant threat it poses viz-a-vize the tremendous goodwill and support the part is enjoying in Kaduna state.”
On the allegation of embarrassment, Abdul-Kadir said: “I wish to state here that the only funds that were disbursed to the zone were done through the party account which was opened and operated at the instance of the party’s National Secretariat.”
He added that since 2015 up till date he has been spending his personal money to maintain the zonal office and the party vehicle.
He, however, declared that he was not against political ambition of both Senator Kwankwaso and El-Rufai but the duo should allow peace to reign in the party.
