The wife of the embattled governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, Asiya El-Rufai, has replied to claims that her husband is seen as a political threat.
El-Rufai asked why anyone would be afraid of political competition, saying democracy should allow opponents to compete freely, rather than be intimidated.
During an appearance on Arise Television, the lawyer was reported to have said this.
“They see him as a threat?” she said. Is he a risk? Why not try it? Why don’t they let him off and see if he’s really a threat or not? Fear of what? What can he do? He’s a person. He is one person. Yes, he’s clever. Yes, he’s clever. Yes, he’s tactical. Yes, he is mighty. But isn’t politics all about competing? Why are we scared of competition? If we know we have done well, why should we run away from facing the opposition?
El-Rufai also recalled her family’s support for his 2023 election, saying they expected only “basic courtesy” in return while reiterating that President Bola Tinubu should not interfere with the trial.
The President, she said, might not have the power to halt the prosecution but he has the power to make sure the relevant agencies act fairly and follow the law.
I know what we’ve been through. My husband supported President Tinubu because he is an honourable man. He fought everybody, he even fought with President Buhari. He took the President to court just to make sure that this agreement would stand. So yes, I mentioned it because it’s normal to expect basic courtesy from someone that you’ve done so much for. “I went out and campaigned for him myself,” she said.
“The President can’t stop anything, but he can tell them to do the right thing,” she said.
