BREAKING: Peter Obi fires back at El-Rufai

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has fired back at the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, for linking him to his arrest in Anambra State years back.

El-Rufai, at an interactive session organised by Arewa Joint Committee in Kaduna on Monday, claimed to have been detained nine years ago in Anambra for 48 hours on the orders of Mr Obi, the then governor of the state.

“In 2013, I went to Anambra State as an official of the APC to witness the bye-election for governorship. Your next guest, Peter Obi, as governor, got me arrested and detained for 48 hours in my hotel room,” the Kaduna governor claimed.

Now as a sitting governor, Mr El-Rufai said he has all the security power to deal with the LP candidate but he would not do so because of his northern background.

In his defence, the former Anambra governor described the governor’s comment as a reckless one which should not have been made in the public space.

“What His Excellency, Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai said about me has been brought to my attention. I believe that as we grow older and are saddled with more responsibilities, we are expected to become circumspect in our thinking and avoid recklessness in our speeches and utterances.

“How does the circumstance he referred to relate to bigotry, to warrant such a label?

“All I do for people like El-Rufai is to pray for them and encourage them to concentrate on doing those things that will better the lots of Nigerians rather than engage in hate speeches that will divide and destroy the country,” he fired back.