Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai has refused to apologise for his comment regarding godfatherism in Lagos politics.
At an event organised by the Bridge Club in Lagos, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and three-time commissioner in Lagos State, Dr Muiz Banire, had asked El-Rufai how godfatherism could be dealt with.
In a video making the rounds on social media, el-Rufai said he stood by his earlier statement that anyone who desired to win the governorship election in Lagos could do so without any godfather by taking advantage of the 5 million registered voters in Lagos that did not vote during the 2019 general election.
Asked by a journalist if he did not know National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as political godfather in Lagos, el-Rufai said, “I don’t know if he (Tinubu) is the godfather of Lagos. It’s up to you to say that.
“What I know for sure is that we have retired godfathers in Kaduna and I have told those that asked me the question that ‘there are six million registered voters in Lagos and only one million voted in the last election. There are five million people that you can bring in to the electoral playground and you can defeat anyone if you work hard but it is hardwork; it’s four years’.
“That is what I said and if anyone feels offended by that, that is his business. It’s not my business.”
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However, el-Rufai said that as the Governor of Kaduna State, it was not his place to recommend to Lagosians how to remove any godfather.
He stated, “I have no recommendations to anyone. I am just saying that if I’m asked a question and I give my answer, anyone that feels offended by the answer, it’s his own business.
“I don’t apologise for my views. My views are thought out and I put them there and I don’t have to explain anything to anyone.
“This is a democracy and in a democratic space, there must be room for people to express their views.
“We can disagree; you can abuse me if you like my views. That’s it.”
Watch video:
El-Rufai doubles down on his comment about godfatherism in Lagos. Says he doesn't know if Tinubu is the godfather of Lagos politics.
"If he is tell him say so."
Says if anyone feels offended by his comments "that's his business."
"I don't apologise for my views," he said. pic.twitter.com/7woZXM2XmM
— Nicholas Ibekwe (@nicholasibekwe) May 13, 2019