The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over what it described as “his unguarded comment” wherein he allegedly referred to the party’s vice presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as a tribal bigot.
A statement on Saturday by the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Chief Obi is well known for his nationalist disposition and cannot in anyway be associated with tribal bigotry.
The party advised Governor el-Rufai to face the myriad of problems “he has caused in Kaduna State for which the people have resolved to vote him out” and stop his attempt to further foul the nation’s political space by making comments capable of stoking religious and ethnic division in the country.
“Governor el-Rufai should not attempt to export the kind of inciting and inflammatory statements that have led to conflagration and bloodletting in his Kaduna state to our national political firmament.
“From el-Rufai’s comment, Nigerians now know those behind the series of smear campaigns and spurious allegations against our Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Peter Obi.
“Instead of fixating on our party and the soaring popularity of our presidential candidate, we expect el-Rufai to show remorse that he was part of those who brought in the Buhari administration, which has inflicted so much pain on Nigerians in the last three and half years.
“He must therefore know that the 2019 election will not be about name calling, smear campaign and character assassination but on finding solutions to the issue of governance for which Nigerians are fully rallied on the platform of the PDP.
“El-Rufai should therefore steer clear of our party and our candidates and begin to prepare to give a full account of his tenure as governor of Kaduna state,” the party said.
