Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has condemned Nasir El-Rufai, the ex-governor of Kaduna State, for his recent remarks concerning President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Omokri claimed that El-Rufai’s comments carry the potential to incite a military coup, labelling them as both irresponsible and treasonous.
In a post on X, Omokri conveyed his disapproval of El-Rufai’s statements, which compared Tinubu’s government to a military dictatorship.
“I read with dismay the coup-baiting comments by the former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai. Not only is it irresponsible for any politician to bait the military to take over because they lost out in this administration, but it is also treasonous,” Omokri wrote.
El-Rufai had said: “For those of us who lived half our lives under military rule, we know what it is. We don’t want a military rule, but we also don’t want civilians behaving like the military in their babbar riga and suits.”
He further added: “This is a national emergency, and we must act before history repeats itself.”
Omokri criticized El-Rufai’s remarks, calling them false and self-serving, while reminding Nigerians of the former governor’s controversial tenure.
Omokri highlighted several incidents under El-Rufai’s administration in Kaduna State, including the demolition of homes belonging to critics, the jailing of dissenters, and alleged payment to herdsmen during the Southern Kaduna crises. He also recalled El-Rufai’s infamous threat to foreign election observers during the 2019 elections, saying they would leave Nigeria in “body bags.”
“This is a man who threatened foreign election observers…and today, he is accusing the Tinubu administration of acting like a military government? Yes, he is counting on the fact that Nigerians have short memories and may not remember his misdeeds,” Omokri stated.
Omokri also questioned El-Rufai’s political motives, drawing parallels with past instances where El-Rufai reportedly shifted allegiances after not being selected for key positions.
“I call on Nigerians to remind Nasir El-Rufai of his diabolical history and tell him they would not stand for a military coup because he lost out on becoming a minister,” Omokri concluded.
