Former Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Akin Osuntokun, has revealed why ex-Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is bitter about the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu.
Speaking in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’ on Tuesday, Osuntokun said President Bola Tinubu in 2007 did a public opinion survey which favoured Ribadu, alleging that El-Rufai never got over it.
Bellnews reports that debates about Ribadu and El-Rufai have hit up the country’s polity in recent times.
Recall that El-Rufai accused the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, under Nuhu Ribadu of procuring thallium sulphate, a highly toxic chemical compound, and has demanded urgent clarification over the alleged transaction.
In a swift response, Ribadu dared El-Rufai to submit evidence of the alleged procurement of thallium sulphate to the Department of State Services, DSS, for further investigation.
Reacting to the development, Osuntokun said, “In 2007, Tinubu did a public opinion survey that favoured Nuhu Ribadu. Former Governor El-Rufai never got over it.
“Tinubu then was a kingmaker. He had just left as governor of Lagos State and wanted to support/sponsor the younger generation since it was the turn of the North.
“This was when Tinubu reached out to Nuhu Ribadu and adopted him as a candidate, and bad blood set in between Nuhu Ribadu and El-Rufai.”