El-Rufai, threatens murder of foreigners who intervene in elections

Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, on Tuesday threatened the
murder of foreign nationals who might interfere in upcoming
Nigerian general elections.

His comments came over a week after the Nigerian government
accused foreign powers including the United States, United Kingdom
and the European Union of actions that could be deemed as
interference, and warned of consequences.

The three entities had condemned the suspension of Chief Justice
Walter Onnoghen, warning the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari
could affect the credibility of general elections weeks away.

The February 16 presidential election is expected to be hotly
contested, and there are fears of violence and election fraud, with
the opposition repeatedly accusing the ruling party of plotting to
rig the polls.

Mr Buhari has repeatedly committed to a free and fair poll, and
warned against any attempt by other nations to meddle in the
country’s internal affairs.

Last week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had observed
overt bias by Western countries towards the opposition People
Democratic Party, a practice it said contradicted international
norms.

Mr El-Rufai, a member of the ruling APC and staunch backer of
the president, ratcheted up attacks against the opposition and the
international community on national television Tuesday. He featured
on the NTA’s Tuesday Live programme anchored by veteran
broadcaster, Cyril Stober.

“Those that are calling for anyone to come and intervene in
Nigeria, we are waiting for the person that would come and
intervene, they would go back in body bags,” the governor said.

He added that while Nigeria had intervened in Sierra Leone and
Liberia in the 1990s, it was done based on the resolution of the
international community and as a gesture of “neighbourliness”.

Mr El-Rufai said Nigeria is an independent entity whose
sovereignty would never be compromised in servitude to foreign
powers.

“We are trying to run our country as decently as possible,” he
said, adding that foreign countries have also had their own share
of “though” phases before attaining their current developmental
strides.

Mr El-Rufai’s warning also appeared to reinforce the comments of
Garba Shehu, a presidential spokesperson who warned last month
Nigeria would not hesitate in raising its armed forces against
foreign elements if they meddled in internal affairs.

Mr Shehu was responding to separate but similar statements
issued by the U.S., UK and EU diplomatic mission condemning the
suspension of Chief Justice Onnoghen.

The missions said Mr Onnoghen’s suspension could jeopardise the
general election and its aftermath.

Ironically, Mr Shehu expressed satisfaction in the conduct of
two governors from Niger Republic, who arrived Nigeria on January
31 to campaign for Mr Buhari’s reelection in Kano.

A spokesperson for Mr El-Rufai declined comments to PREMIUM
TIMES about his principal’s chilling tone at a time leaders are
preaching towards a peaceful election.

Information minister Lai Mohammed, who has long campaigned
against ‘hate speech’, did not return requests for comments about
his APC colleague. The spokespersons for the ruling APC, police,
Nigerian Army and Ministry of Foreign Affairs all declined comments
Wednesday morning.

Moves geared towards a peaceful election have been initiated by
several pro-democracy groups, including the National Peace
Committee.

The committee, led by former military ruler Abdulsalam Abubakar,
secured the promises of all presidential candidates that would be
no violence during and after the exercise.

David Ogbole, a pentecostal preacher who has led campaigns for a
peaceful election, warned that Mr El-Rufai’s comments could
undercut efforts towards a national peace consensus.

“As we approach the election, we must eschew all militant virus
in us,” Mr Ogbole said. “It is important that persons like Mr
El-Rufai are cautioned and isolated.”

“If the president has good media managers, they would come out
right now to dissociate him from el-Rufai’s comments,” Mr Ogbole
said.

The pastor said foreign elements should not be facing threats of
bloodshed because they have intervened in several ways about
Nigerian affairs, just as Nigeria has intervened in the affairs of
other countries.

In 2017, Nigeria raised its military to intervene and remove
Yayah Jammeh from office after it seemed the former The Gambia
leader was plotting to perpetuate himself in power despite losing
elections.

“Foreign countries have over the years intervened economically
and socially in our affairs, so it should not be out of place if
they intervene politically,” Mr Ogbole said.

“Our sovereignty cannot be said to be undermined just because
other countries help us to correct some of the things were not
getting right,” Mr Ogbole said. “Countries cannot leave in
isolation in the modern world.”