FLASHBACK: Nothing wrong in asking President to resign – El-Rufai to Jonathan in 2012

A call made by Nasir El-rufai, while pushing for the resignation of former President, Goodluck Jonathan in 2012 has resurfaced on social media.

El-Rufai, now the Kaduna State Governor, had on July 23, 2012, supported the call for Jonathan’s resignation, suggesting that the then President was useless to the people of Nigeria.

The tweet resurfacing may not be unconnected to a similar call made by Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who yesterday, demanded that President Muhammadu Buhari resigned his position if he can no longer protect Nigerians.

El-Rufai had said, ”Nothing wrong with asking a president to resign, even presidents that are useful to their people get asked to.”

The tweet, which has stirred diverse reactions is coming amidst backlash, Abaribe’s outburst on the floor of the Senate.

The Abia-born politician also noted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration has failed Nigerians.

Abaribe made the call during his contribution to a motion sponsored by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, on national security, said the nation’s leader and his government have been lying to Nigerians that Boko Haram has been defeated.

He said: “Those who live on propaganda shall die by propaganda. Defeat is staring us in the face.

“Nigerians did not elect the Chief of Staff, Nigerians did not elect heads of Security, Nigerians elected President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and in 2019.

“As it is, we are facing the head of the Nigerian government and this is President Buhari. He should resign with immediate effect.”

Reacting, Buhari, through his spokesman, Garba Shehu, declared that he won’t throw in the towel just because some characters think that he should resign.

He said, “That call does not represent the opinion of the country. This is the opinion of an armchair critic, known for making stray comments.

“If a leader like President Buhari needs to resign, there are millions of other Nigerians who need to resign, including Senator Abaribe who unlocked the door to enable the escape of traitorous and treasonable suspects.

“He signed the bond for the court to release Nnamdi Kanu on bail, from which moment the suspect disappeared into the thin air.

“Senator Abaribe has failed repeated deadlines to return Kanu to the court for trial, yet he has the effrontery with which to accuse someone of failing to the bidding of the law.

“This is a man who should have replaced the suspects he failed to produce in the correctional facility.

“Abaribe’s party raped the nation and left it collapsing in 2015 and President Buhari is fixing things up all the years he is in office.

“President Buhari is working hard to keep Nigeria and Nigerians out of the harm terrorists have unleashed in the entire Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa with the support of Nigerians and our foreign friends, he is going to finish off these terrorists. He alone can do it.”