Kaduna 2019: Hunkuyi vows to oust El-Rufai

A senator, Suleiman Hunkuyi (APC/Kaduna North), declared on Thursday that Governor Nasir El-Rufai has not been fair to Kaduna State, and vowed to “do everything possible” to vote him out in 2019.

“The battle line has been drawn; we must vote out El-Rufa’i in 2019 general elections,” the senator said in Kaduna, at a ceremony to formally unveil a forum tagged: “APC Aspirants Forum.”

Hunkuyi, who said he might contest the Kaduna governorship seat in 2019, stated that the forum was to “check and neutralise the power of incumbency”.

He accused Mr. El-Rufai of not being fair to the majority of the people, saying that the forum would work toward ensuring that non-performing officials were voted out.

The senator described the forum as a “thumb-down revolution” to oust Mr. El-Rufai, and urged the APC to ensure internal democracy.

“We will put structures at all levels to ensure that APC followers get credible candidates that will be rallying points for all; anything less is not negotiable,” he said.

He added that the forum, which he would lead, would work with APC leaders to ensure that the party executives and political office aspirants emerged through democratic processes.

Mr. Hunkuyi urged stakeholders to join hands with the forum to “rescue our dear party and Kaduna State from total collapse”, and promised to chart a new course in the effort toward a better Kaduna State.

Tijjani Ramalan, Chairman, Kaduna Restoration Group, said the group would reject Mr. El-Rufai’s candidacy “if he chooses to contest in 2019”.

Mr. Ramalan alleged that Mr. El-Rufai’s policies and actions were “anti-people”, and accused him of “having no regards to the wishes of those who supported his emergence as governor in 2015”.

He urged APC members to support the forum to protect democracy and provide its dividends to the people.

“We are told that an APC reconciliation team will come to Kaduna. If they want our support, El-Rufa’i should not run in 2019,” he said.