A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna State, Hon. Adamu Ahmed Dattijo, has said former Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s presence during the party’s by-election campaign in Chikun negatively affected voting patterns and reduced the chances of their candidate.
He made this known in an interview with The Sun while assessing El-Rufai’s role in the recently concluded polls. Dattijo explained that although El-Rufai has the right to contest if he wishes, his approach has been divisive and overbearing.
He noted that Kaduna residents still remember El-Rufai’s record as governor, citing mass sackings, demolition of homes, harsh comments, and actions that disregarded senior citizens. According to him, these policies left deep wounds that continue to polarise the state along religious and ethnic lines.
He argued that El-Rufai’s style of leadership fostered division and resentment instead of uniting the people. For this reason, many voters rejected candidates he openly supported, regardless of their individual merits.
Dattijo recalled that El-Rufai was not officially invited to the Chikun campaign rally, but was allowed to speak out of respect for his status as a senior stakeholder.
However, he stressed that El-Rufai’s presence backfired, influencing the outcome of the election negatively and causing the ADC to lose a lot of votes. He added that it will take time for the people of Kaduna to forgive and move past the wounds inflicted during his administration.
In his words, You can bring a good candidate to me, but if you force El-Rufai on my doorstep, I will refuse to vote for that candidate simply because of his involvement.”
“That is exactly what affected our candidate in that by-election. For example, when he went to Chikun during their campaign, he was not even officially invited. Yet, because he is a senior stakeholder, they allowed him to speak.”
“But his presence backfired and influenced the voting pattern negatively. Our candidate could have gotten more votes without his interference. It will take time for the wounds he inflicted on the people of Kaduna to heal.”
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