Nasir el-Rufai, governor of
Kaduna state, has defended his choice of a Muslim as running mate for the 2019
elections.
His decision to pick Hadiza
Balarabe, a Muslim from Sanga local government area in the southern part of the
state, had sparked mixed reactions, with some people accusing him of being
insensitive to the diversity in the state.
But speaking on Tuesday when a
delegation from Sanga local government paid him a thank you visit for choosing
their daughter, el-Rufai said he consulted President Muhammadu Buhari before
settling for Balarabe among 32 candidates for the deputy governorship position.
He said those criticising him for
his choice are people who never voted for him, adding that the government house
is not a place of worship but a place of work.
He said when Barnabas Bantex, the
incumbent deputy governor, told him about a year ago that he was going to contest
for senate, he was in a dilemma over how to get a replacement.
“So, we started piling list of
people for consideration and I had up to 32 names, including names of some
people seated with me here today,” he said.
“Then we started selection and
dropping of names based on merit. From 32 manes to 17 to 12 and then five names
-three males and two females.
“At that point, and as usual of
us, when we are taking serious decisions, we consult President Muhammadu
Buhari, because he is the only person I know that has worked in the army, he
has been governor, minister and president.
“So, when I told him, he said
anyone older than you should be dropped, then one name was dropped, remaining
two men and two women, then he said, since you are interested in a woman pick
the best woman. That was how I picked Hadiza.
The governor said he had made it
clear to his cabinet members that he would not make any choice out of
sentiments.
“From the beginning, I had told
my team that, I will never choose or deny anyone appointment because of
religion or ethnicity,” he said.
“But some people started all
manner of things, ‘Muslim-Muslim ticket’ and so on. But Government House is not
a place of worship, we come here to work for the people. The people that have
criticised me most on this are people who never voted me in the first place.
“So, are they not supposed to be
celebrating, if, in their own opinion, I have made a wrong choice? Then, why
are they mourning?”
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