A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC Comrade Timi Frank, has described as tissues of lies, claims by Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-rufai, that former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, did not make tangible contributions to the 2015 presidential campaign of the party.
He said Atiku was not only given the responsibility of funding seven states, but also gave his vast media arsenal to the party to use.
Frank, who is also the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, described the governor’s statement as “the height of ingratitude of a jilted lover.”
Speaking on a Voice of America VOA Hausa Service Programme, “Democracy Today”, which was monitored in Kaduna, Governor El-rufai had challenged the Waziri Adamawa to state his contributions to the APC, including how much he gave and what the money was used for.
El-rufai was quoted to have said: “For me, I know those that supported us with their money and property that we used during election, and I never heard the name of Atiku that he brought a dime. If Atiku said he brought money, who did he give it to? Let him come and say it and how much did he give and what was it used for?
But Frank said: “Amaechi has records of those, who contributed to the campaign, so if El-rufai does not know he should contact the Minister of Transportation.
Moreover, it is on record that the former Vice President had responsibility for seven states, during the campaign.
Again, it is also on record that Atiku’s media asset was transferred to the campaign. If El-rufai has forgotten so soon, the Director of Media APC Presidential Campaign Council, Mallam Garba Shehu, who is now the spokesman to the President, was handed over to the party campaign team from Atiku Media office, the deputy director of Atiku media team, Mr. Paul Ibe, was also part of APC media team during the 2015 campaign and other key members of Atiku’s group. I don’t know how El-rufai will quantify the cost?
While urging El-rufai “to stop his political sycophantic acts towards President Buhari,” Frank also urged the President to study El-rufai’s antecedents in politics and how the Kaduna governor had constantly betrayed all his benefactors in the past.
We will not join issues with Timi Frank— El-Rufai
However, Governor Nasir El Rufai yesterday dismissed Timi Frank, saying, “we will not lower our standard by responding to him.”
Speaking with pressmen in Kaduna, an official of the state government said “we will respond only if Atiku contradicts our boss.”
The official, who craved anonymity because “the governor does not want to join issues with every Tom, Dick and Harry in the party,” said the governor stood by his assertion.
“We will certainly not dignify Timi Frank, with a response. He is below our standard. If the former Vice President responds, we will respond to him. Timi Frank is not worth our response,” the official said.
He said: “I wonder how Mr. El-rufai could easily contradict himself in a short while. Late last year, the same governor wrote an open letter to the President where he mentioned Atiku Abubakar as one of the leaders of the APC that the President had abandoned. So, what has happened to his memory?” He queried.
