In what could be best described as a prophecy foreseen and foretold, a letter written by Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai in September 2016 and addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari about happenings in the nation has emerged.
El Rufai, in the letter warned Buhari that their party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) had worsened the situation in Nigeria than how they met it.
He warned his party man to be proactive in taking key decisions in a timely manner or he would end up losing it all.
According to the 30-page letter obtained by SaharaReporters, the governor admitted that the current government had failed in many areas, especially in the fight against Boko Haram and corruption.
According to him, “In very blunt terms, Mr. President, our APC administration has not only failed to manage expectations of a populace that expected overnight ‘change’ but has failed to deliver even mundane matters of governance outside of our successes in fighting BH insurgency and corruption.
“Overall, the feeling even among our supporters today is that the APC government is not doing well,” he declared, before proceeding to an analysis of the key areas: Politics, National Economy and Governance, and then making suggestions for Mr. Buhari’s consideration and action.
“Mr. President, it is also clear to many of us that have studied your political career, that so long as you remain in the political landscape, no Northerner will emerge successfully on the national scene,” Governor El-Rufai said.
“All those wasting time, money and other resources to run in 2019 either do not realize this divinely-ordained situation or are merely destined to keep others employed and rich from electoral project doomed to certain failure.”
He lamented that Buhari has cracked the relationship between him, some leaders of the APC, governors under the party and some stakeholders.
He voiced his conviction thus, “This situation is compounded by the fact that some officials around you seem to believe and may have persuaded you that current APC State Governors must have no say and must also be totally excluded from political consultations, key appointments and decision-making at the federal level,” he said.
“These politically-naive ‘advisers’ fail to realize that it is the current and former state governors that may, as members of NEC of the APC, serve as an alternative locus of power to check the excesses of the currently lopsided and perhaps ambivalent NWC,” he continued, adding that alienating the governors so clearly and deliberately ensures that you have near-zero support of the party structure at both national and state levels.
“The two officials whose titles may enable them function as such generally alienate those that contributed to our success,” he declared, dismissing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as not only inexperienced in public service but lacking in humility, in addition to being insensitive and rude to virtually most of the party leaders, ministers and governors.
“The Chief of Staff is totally clueless about the APC and its internal politics at best as he was neither part of its formation nor a participant in the primaries, campaign, and elections.
“In summary, neither of them has the personality, experience, and the reach to manage your politics nationally or even regionally.
“No one cares about, or will ‘help’ us unless we get our act together and organize our political economy and national affairs to be regionally,” the governor said.
He added that these troubling perceptions, whether accurate or not, must be addressed frontally by the president, and no other person.
El Rufai in the letter advised Buhari on the need to carry Nigerians along in his governance.
“The President should speak to the nation – something akin to a State of the Union address on December 1 or January 1, preferably in a joint session of the National Assembly during which he will explain away some of the perceptions and lay out the national plans, strategies, and roadmap [contained in this memo].
“I ran for state Governor because you directed me to do so,” he said.
“From 2010 when we joined your team, I have no other interest other than your place in history as our President. I believe in your integrity, commitment and sense of duty to make our nation better. I am distressed that our government is seen not to be succeeding mostly due to the failures, lack of focus and selfishness of some you have entrusted to carry on and implement your vision.”
See full letter below:
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