The immediate-past National Vice Chairman, North-west, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has criticised Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, for allegedly picking a fight against his immediate predecessor.
In a letter dated June 13, 2024, titled “Issues of Politics and Governance in Kaduna: The Truth” and copied to Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and several other stakeholders in the state, Lukman said the governor may not win the 2027 election and that his days in office are numbered.
Lukman, who announced his resignation from the ruling party a few days ago, said the governor would be voted out of office alongside President Bola Tinubu in the next election.
“I wish I could spare you. But given that at the end of the day, politics is local, even if you accept to reform yourself but President Tinubu did not embrace reforms, you will be collateral damage. Take it from me, the campaign to defeat APC and President Tinubu is just starting and it will take root in Kaduna State.
“I am honestly worried for you. You are setting a precedent that will hurt you. All I can say is, be careful. At most, in the next 7 years, you will be out,” he said.
He warned the governor against making any derogatory statements against El-Rufai, saying, “Without Mallam, it would have been almost impossible for you to rise to where you are today.”
“The privilege of being a governor has an expiry date. In your case, if you are lucky, another seven years. But from the way things are unfolding, I believe the default expiry date for your tenure is another three years.
“Both you and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have clearly sent out worrisome signals of being anything but democrats,” Lukman added.