Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, has responded to people condemning him on social media, claiming that their slurs and insults are baseless.
The former governor stated that he did not “give a damn” about misinterpretations of his posts and that his opponents judged him “in ignorance and bigotry.”.
El-Rufai confirmed this in a message on his verified X account on Saturday.
“Interpret, misinterpret, or reinterpret any posts by me or any other as you wish. I frankly don’t give a damn,” he wrote. “Abuse and insult with no basis. By all means, pass your judgement in ignorance and bigotry. Nothing will change. What will be will be, in sha Allah.”
Netizens have slammed the former governor for a post he published last Saturday condemning envy and animosity among Nigerians.
He cited the emergence of US Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential contender as a case study.
“The emerging problem of Nigeria is the outcome of the continuously deteriorating competence, capacity, and commitment of the political leadership,” El-Rufai posted. “Societies succeed or fail depending on these personal and institutional qualities.”
“No matter what, the incurable virus of envy has to be confronted and degraded, if not cured, if Nigeria is to achieve its manifest destiny of greatness and leadership of the Black Race. I pray this can be realised.”
In response to the tweet, Banks Omishore, an aide to Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, chastised the ex-governor for lacking a moral compass to discourage envy and hatred, citing his actions against former Senate President Bukola Saraki.
El-Rufai has struggled with political shortcomings since leaving administration, when the Senate declined to ratify his nomination as a cabinet nominee in August 2023.
In March 2024, El-Rufai’s successor, Governor Uba Sani, stated that he inherited a massive financial burden of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual responsibilities from him.
The Kaduna State House of Assembly also charged in July 2024 that the ex-governor stole public funds of N423 billion while leading the state’s affairs.
