Kaduna APC Crisis: El-Rufai Kicks Against Reconciling With ‘Traitors’ …Disowns aide for apologising to journalists

Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has declared that he will not reconcile with politicians in the state who are "traitors and enemies of the people."

The governor also disowned his aide, Alhaji Saidu Adamu, for apologising to journalists over  the frosty relationship with the media in the state.

Adamu, a former Commissioner for Information is counselor on information.

In a statement issued on Tuesday in Kaduna, spokesman to the governor, Samuel Aruwan, said: "El-Rufai is aware that reconciliation efforts with aggrieved party members are being undertaken by the new state executive of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by Air Commodore Emmanuel Jekada.

"While supportive of this party effort, the government is clear that there will be no reconciliation with traitors and enemies of the people in the political class."

Denouncing Adamu's apology to journalists, the statement said he has no mandate to speak for the governor or the government.

During a recent visit to the state secretariat of the NUJ in Kaduna, Adamu had apologised over the government frosty relationship between journalists and the government, and assured them of a cordial working relationship with the media.

"Governor El-Rufai is learning, he is bound to make mistakes, and through that, we make amendment.

“It is normal to have issues among ourselves especially in the state and when amendment is made, that is the only way the state will grow.

“It is very important that we collaborate with you journalists, and that is why l have come to interact with you and also appeal to you that l want you to be part of us. What has happened has happened," Adamu had said during the visit.

The statement maintained that Adamu's "decision to address journalists was purely a personal adventure and what he said was a personal opinion and cannot be ascribed to the governor.

"Samuel Aruwan is the official designated to speak for the governor and the government of El-Rufai.

"His appointment to this role was announced even before the governor took the oath of office in May 2015.

"As acknowledgement for the dedicated discharge of his duty as spokesperson, El-Rufai duly promoted Aruwan to Senior Special Assistant in 2017, and no change has been made to the government carefully structured communication set-up since 2015."

According to the statement, "It is only statements from the official spokesperson that can be attributed to the governor, except in circumstances where designated senior officials have been mandated to represent the governor at events, and the speeches they will read at such places will have been suitably vetted and approved.

“The government media team observes a disciplined process of authorisation and vetting in relation to official government statements.

"El-Rufai will not brook individuals trying to pass off their personal opinions as his.

"He is well-known for the frank expression of his views, and as a leader, he does not do proxies in taking responsibility for his actions, or those of the government he heads.

"On several platforms, especially his live radio chats, he has taken responsibility for the actions of his government, giving credit to officials when success comes, and taking the flak for low moments.

"As the man on whose table the buck stops, he has never abdicated nor delegated the duty of accountability.

“It is important to reiterate that the government has nothing to apologise to journalists for. Under the leadership of El-Rufai, the Kaduna State Government fully respects and upholds press freedom.

"There is no apology for curing people of the illusion that press freedom implies license to blackmail or incite religious and ethnic violence."