I never visited Edo on election day- El-Rufai

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, has refuted allegations by Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the Edo State governorship election, that he (El-Rufai) visited the state today, during the ongoing elections.


Recall that Ize-Iyamu had alleged that El-Rufai and his Lagos State counterpart, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode were in the state on Wednesday. But, the Lagos State Government swiftly debunked the allegation, saying Ambode was overseas, and could not have been in Edo State.

A statement by the Special Assistant to the Kaduna State Governor on (Media and Publicity), Samuel Aruwan, on Wednesday, said: “Malam Nasir El-Rufai did not visit Edo State today, Wednesday, 28 September 2016. Contrary to the fiction peddled by one of the candidates who made the accusation on live television. Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has kindly rubbished the lie and made clear that Malam Nasir El-Rufai is nowhere near the state.

“This clarification is made only to affirm a material fact. But it is important to stress that the laws of this country do not prevent any citizen from being in any part of the country. While movement may be restricted on election days, that is not the same thing as construing the presence of any citizen in a state holding elections as illegal, unusual or irregular. “A specious attempt, similar to that made by a candidate in Edo today, was made by chieftains of a political party during the last governorship election in Anambra State. During the Anambra elections, security agents tried to cast a Nigerian as alien simply for being in another state during an election, restricted Malam El-Rufai to his hotel room.

“Malam El-Rufai challenged this violation of his right in court. And a court ruled in his favour. Those who are seeking power should be careful not to be violating constitutional rights in that quest. And they should not say what they do not know to be true.”