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Atiku vs Buhari: PDP hits back at El-Rufai for calling Peter Obi ‘tribal bigot’


The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over his statement against Peter Obi.

El-Rufai had described Peter Obi, the running mate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar as a “religious bigot.”

He recalled that Obi supported his (El-Rufai’s) arrest by the Department of State Services, DSS in 2014 on the ground that “El-Rufai has no business being in Anambra State as it is not Katsina State.”

Reacting, the party in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbondiyan warned El-rufai to stay away from Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.

The party says Chief Peter Obi is well known for his nationalist disposition and cannot in anyway be associated with tribal bigotry.

The statement read in part: “PDP cautions Kaduna Governor over his unguarded comment, wherein he referred to our Vice Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as a tribal bigot

“The PDP therefore advices 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 our 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.”