Group Accuses el-Rufai of Propagating Radical Islamism

* Urges judiciary to right wrongs of last presidential election

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

A group, the Coalition of Nigerians Living in United Kingdom, has accused former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai of promoting radical islamism in Nigeria.

The group in a press statement issued from London, and signed by the chairperson and secretary, Dr. Loretta Oduware Ogboro-Okor Olorogun and Theodore Ochuko Arayki respectively, condemned recent utterances of the former governor.

It noted that, with statements from el-Rufai justifying his Muslim-Muslim ticket in Kaduna State, and that of the recent presidential election in Nigeria were deliberately orchestrated, it would not be wrong to hold him accountable for the numerous killings in the state that occurred in Kaduna, under his watch.
The group which also reiterated a call in its recent press conference in London, expressed hope that with the shambolic election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the judiciary was now the hope of the people in righting the wrong.

Part of the statement by the group read: “We totally condemn the inciting and genocidal statement by the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai, justifying the Muslim-Muslim civilian Presidency of the country.

“Since the video of the statement broke, we have waited to see if the former Kaduna State governor would publicly deny or clarify himself, all to no avail.
“The Coalition of Nigerians living in UK hereby makes bold to say that former Governor el-Rufai’s inciting and genocidal statement was not surprising.

“The statement was also a clear confirmation of the remote and immediate causes of endless butcheries and property violence systematically targeted at defenseless Christians and their properties in Nigeria, especially in Southern Kaduna and Middle-Belt.

“It further confirms that the butcheries have nothing to do with the so called Farmers-Herders Clashes.”
The Coalition called on the leaders of the Southern Kaduna, the Middle-Belt, and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to go after Mallam el-Rufai and ensure that he does not go scot-free.

Speaking on the 2023 presidential election, the group said: “On 15th May 2023, we issued a communique at the ILEC International Conference Center, London, UK with the theme: Nigeria on trial – does democracy matter?
“As Nigerians in the United Kingdom who demand a better society with Justice, Peace, and Sustainable Development, we decided to host the International Press Conference with the purpose to deepen true democracy that guarantees stability in our dear country – Nigeria.

“The promises made by Nigeria’s electoral umpire, INEC, led by Professor Mahmood Yakubu to conduct a free, fair, and credible election stimulated maximal engagement by the Nigerian masses to participate in the electoral process, but were ultimately aborted and never met.

“Nigerians are deeply saddened by the outcomes of the 2023 presidential elections. Particularly disheartening, were the scale of violence, severe voter intimidation, disenfranchisement, ballot box snatching and destruction in the full glare of the Nigerian security personnel, independent and international observers, resulting in serious injuries and deaths of Nigerians.

“We call for investigations into the maiming, killing, ethnic targeted violence and ethnic profiling that took place in Lagos to bring perpetrators to book. This will serve as a deterrent to this despicable stain on our shared nationhood.”