Criticism has continued to trail the statement made by the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El Rufai that godfatherism must be stamped out of Nigerian politics.
El Rufai went on to tell his audience at an event held in Lagos state last weekend that he had a stop to any form of godfatherism in his state, even as he boasted that he had retired all known godfathers in Kaduna politics since he took over the administration of the state.
But Hon. Doyin Johnson, a Lagos-based political analyst is warning El Rufai to keep his mouth shut.
“It is a know fact that Mr. Nasir El-Rufai who was one of the confusionists who caused the destructive statement “I belong to nobody”, all in a bid to silence Bola Ahmed Tinubu after 2015 general election is at it again when he came as a guest speaker in an event in Lagos last weekend, claiming that he retired the four godfathers in Kaduna state. He forget that in his bid to retire godfathers in Kaduna, he has turned himself to become one,” said Johnson.
“What is godfatherism, who are the godfathers and what are the things that qualified one to be a godfather if not how El-Rufai is operating in APC and Kaduna State? The man claimed he retired the four godfathers in his state to become a sole godfather
Doyin Johnson who is the South West Publicity Secretary of Presidential Support Committee, Convener of Nigeria Agents of Change and Director General of Asiwaju Frontliners told the Governor to better keep his mouth shut and bury his head in shame.
He allegedly labeled El-Rufai as one of the rebels in the All Progressive Congress (APC).
“We can vividly remember how he used former National Chairman John Odigie Oyegun to perpetrated many evil agendas in APC like that of the ganged up against James Faleke who won Kogi State Governorship election with the late Abubakar Audu, but was shortchanged for Yaya Bello who has become an exhibit in APC’s family with poor performance. Where is Oyegun’s position today among the progressives and Nigerian political structure in general?
“This same man fought all the APC Senators representing Kaduna State in the 8th National Assembly since inception of 2015 Muhammadu Buhari- Led administration. He even used party machinery to suspend Senator Shehu Sanni. When we are talking about those who struggled for democracy we are enjoying in Nigeria of today, Senator Sanni is an outstanding freedom fighter whose posterity has written his name in gold.
“Where was El- Rufai when the going was tough? We knew the role Sanni played in the project for better Nigeria from 1991 during military juntas up to date in the 8th National Assembly
“El-Rufai used state fund and machinery against the second term bid and return of articulate progressive Senator like Sanni to the 9th National Assembly. El-Rufai needs to go back to the classroom and study very well to understand the different between godfatherism and leadership.
“Lagos leadership has been operating transformationally, and this has produced and made the likes of Dr. Muiz Banire, the man nominated by Bola Tinubu as APC National Legal Adviser from 2013 to 2018, Babatunde Raji Fashola, Lai Mohammed, Babatunde Fowler, Kayode Fayemi, Ben Akabueze, Ade Ipaye, Opeyemi Bamidele, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Abike Dabiri, Senator Adeola Solomon- Yayi, Adejoke Orelope Adefulire, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and other thousands.
“Even it is a known fact that Lagos Leadership produced the current President of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari. In all honesty, El-Rufai is too junior to who Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be trading words with, but it is necessary to warn him to bury his head in shame for posterity because he has nothing to show for leadership replication since 1999 when he served under his Ota letter writer boss
Johnson advised El-Rufai to come to the school of Lagos Political Leadership to emulate what is happening by inaugurating Governor Advisory Council, the combination of experienced political and good governance leaders for better and transformational administration in Kaduna State.
Doyin Johnson