‘The earlier, the better’ — el-Rufai taunts Atiku

Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, says the exit of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar from the All Progressives Congress (APC) is good for the party.

He also told Abubakar that contesting against President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential election would be a waste of time.

El-Rufai said this on Friday while addressing state house correspondents after the Jumat prayer at the presidential villa, Abuja.

Abubakar dumped the APC earlier on Friday, accusing the party of failing to meat tmeetearnings of many Nigerians.

Although some Nigerians believe that Atiku may join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and as a result pose a threat to the ruling APC, el-Rufai said the APC does not feel threatened with Atiku’s resignation.

He said: “I have heard about what the former vice-president said about leaving the APC. We thought he was going to leave in December but he has left in November, which is good because the earlier he leaves, for where he belongs, the better.

“He has changed political parties a few times, there is nothing surprising. Before the 2019 elections, if situation changes and he thinks he can get the ticket in 2019, he will come back. That is what he has done a few times.”

Reacting to reports that Atiku was driven away from the APC, el-Rufai said no one drove the former vice-president away as “the APC is an equal opportunity platform for everyone.”

El-Rufai said Atiku informed him of his decision to join APC in 2014, which he welcomed.

“However, I told him not to run for the presidency because I believe very strongly this is Buhari’s era. As long as President Muhammadu Buhari is in politics I do not see any Nigerian from the northern part of the country that will be able to match him in popularity,” he added.

“The people of the 19 northern states and Nigeria have decided because of the president’s past history of integrity and good governance they are committed to him.

“Anyone standing up to challenge him is wasting his time. God has decreed that this is Buhari’s time and we are waiting for the PDP to give Atiku Abubakar the ticket and we will face him on the field. But I have no doubt that I will not lose any sleep about it.”