El-Rufai: Atiku spent 12 years begging for visa… PDP should be crying for him

Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, says there is nothing worth celebrating about the visit of Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to the US.

El-Rufai said this at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential rally in the state on Friday.

Atiku visited the US for the first time in 13 years on Thursday. The APC has repeatedly said he was running away from investigations by the US authorities.

Commenting on the visit which has got many people mocking the APC, el-Rufai said members of the PDP should be crying for Atiku instead of celebrating him.

“Atiku is in America after begging for 12 years to get visa and people in the PDP are celebrating instead of crying. So all of a sudden, going to America is an achievement?” el-Rufai asked.

“Mr. President, I first went to America when I was 23 years old, it is not an achievement, but in the minds of the PDP, getting a visa after begging for 12 years is an achievement.

“Do you want to vote those who will go to Trump before they come back to Nigeria? Do you want those who will take all your money to America? Atiku Abubakar should be explaining to Nigerians why he did not go to America for 12 years.

On the February 16 presidential election, the governor promised President Muhammadu Buhari that he will receive over 80 percent of the total voted from the state.

“By the grace of God, in the next election, these three states will give you more than 30 percent of your total votes,” he said.

“Kaduna state gave you 70 per cent of its votes in 2015 – 1.1 million votes. This was when our voters register was just 3. 3 million.

“Now our voters register is about 4 million and with the efforts of all the stakeholders here, including many decampees from PDP, we are confident that this time around, based on the work you have done in Kaduna state and Nigeria, the voters in Kaduna state will give you more than 80 per cent of the total votes.

“By the grace of God and so long as we have the enabling environment- security and credible electoral officers, Kaduna state is yours, there is nothing to worry about.

“Our track record as a party and your track record and the work done by APC governors, is enough for people to vote APC again.”