El-Rufai, the Reluctant Presidential Hopeful

 POLITICAL NOTES

The Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, can be blunt and unsparing, when dealing with issues, no matter who is involved; what you must also know about him is that he is two-faced and sly. That’s equally innate. 

When the undulating journey to 2023 started to pick, El-Rufai was one of the first set of people, who though unsolicited, said it was either power moved to the South or nothing. In fact, he not only sold and pushed this idea, he sustained it for a long time. 

But, as it has come to be known, it was only convenient to do so at the time. El-Rufai is smart – very much so – and you can only underrate him at your peril. Calculated and futuristic, he’s a damn good pretender. 

Last week, El-Rufai had spoken about the possibility of the presidential ambition of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and how much Buhari loved and respected him. 

Prior to this, he was alleged to have quietly discouraged as many friends as possible from running for the president of Nigeria, because the country was irredeemable and did not want his friends to waste their hard earned money and precious time, on an ambition that could demonise and undo their credibility.

Then, suddenly, having promulgated all these ideas and discouraged others, same El-Rufai does not mind to reluctantly run for the president of the country, however, if the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari, asked him to. 

This diminutive fellow must think he was speaking to some simpletons from Zombie United. That he is deceptively unchanging is a fact he only is blind to. People tag along with him on anything, only for political exigencies. 

Exposing his true intentions in the thick of a leadership crisis in the ruling APC, may not have been planned, but has clearly revealed the masquerade and his false southern solidarity all along. El-Rufai should just wait, the chaff would be separated from the wheat soon. It’s a matter of time.