I pray for People like El-Rufai to concentrate on doing things to better the lives of Nigerians rather than engage in hate speech – Peter Obi

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has reacted to an allegation by Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, linking him to his arrest in Anambra State years back.

El-Rufai, at an interactive session organised by Arewa Joint Committee in Kaduna on Monday, claimed he was detained nine years ago in Anambra for 48 hours on the orders of Mr Obi, the then governor of the state. He further stated that he would not retaliate following Obi’s visit to Kaduna

Reacting to this, the former Anambra governor described El-Rufai’s comment as a reckless one which should not have been made in the public space

“What His Excellency, Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai said about me has been brought to my attention. I believe that as we grow older and are saddled with more responsibilities, we are expected to become circumspect in our thinking and avoid recklessness in our speeches and utterances.

“How does the circumstance he referred to relate to bigotry, to warrant such a label?

“All I do for people like El-Rufai is to pray for them and encourage them to concentrate on doing those things that will better the lots of Nigerians rather than engage in hate speeches that will divide and destroy the country,” he fired back.

“The police commissioner that was there then was from Adamawa State, and the AIG was from Nasarawa. The GMD that was planning for that election was from Kano. There’s no way I could have done that.

“My chairman, I never asked anyone to arrest you. As Governor of Anambra State, I have the first APC best policeman in Nigeria, and he is from Kano, so where will I give the order and tell a man who lives in my house every day that I want to deal with his people, and he will say yes?”

“I was in APGA during the elections in 2010 (2013), the ruling party was PDP, how can I instruct the PDP in Abuja to detain anybody, even me as state governor was detained in my own local government,” Mr Obi said.