El-Rufai: Zakzaky Wants To Turn Nigeria Into An Islamic Republic

Nasir El-Rufai

APC’s Muslim social media warriors are have been doing their damnedest to Obfuscate comments made by the Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, in an interview with Channels Television on 21st April 2017. 

Among the striking comments made by El-Rufai was, “Their objective is to turn Nigeria into an Islamic republic”, referring to Ibrahim Zakzaky and the IMN. El-Rufai made this statement at least twice.

Muslim APC and Buhari supporters have been running campaigns in Muslim circles to defend the massacres and aggression against Shiites in the country. They try to convince the Muslim masses to believe that the crack down on Shiites is an attempt to protect Islam hence, should not be condemned. 

As a matter of fact, any Muslim who criticizes the crackdown is automatically labeled a Shiite. This statement by El-Rufai greatly contradicts the claims of those who defend the bloody crackdown. 

The Question should be asked, if Zakzaky wants to turn Nigeria into an Islamic republic shouldn’t the ‘Islam-loving’ government of Buhari be working hand in hand with the Islamic Movement of Nigeria?

The APC-led government is talking with both sides of its mouth. When they meet Muslims, they say the crackdown is to protect Islam and when they meet Christians and non Muslims they say the crackdown is to prevent the Islamization of Nigeria.

In the six minute video, the Channels TV journalist, Maupe Ogun, posed a challenge to El-Rufai when she interjected him by saying, “But you went to him to ask for votes during the elections”. 

There, El-Rufai denied it by saying he only went to pay Zakzaky a condolence visit after three of his children were gunned down by security forces in the administration of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan during a pro-Palestine rally. 

On Friday 25 July 2014, the Nigerian Army shot dead 35 followers of Ibrahim Zakzaky, including three of his sons after a pro-Palestinian procession in Zaria.

A question that the journalist failed to ask is, 'What were Shiites doing when they were gunned down in 2014 and what are they doing now in 2019?' 

If Shiites are terrorists for protesting in 2019 then, they were also terrorists when they were gunned down in 2014. Is El-Rufai telling us he paid a condolence visit to a terror group?

Continued Detention

The question was posed, "Do you think it is right to hold him for as long as you have?". 

To this, El-Rufai said, "I think you should ask the attorney-general of the Federation, I am not part of the decision to hold him or not to hold him. Our job in Kaduna is to investigate what has happened in the last 33 years in which the Zakzakiyya movement terrorized people in Kaduna state and we intend to bring charges against him and some of his key lieutenants. When we are ready we will ask the federal government to release him to us so that we put him before a judge in Kaduna".

So El-Rufai told us that Zakzaky was terrorizing the people of Kaduna state for well over two decades yet, he paid him a visit when 'he got the consequences of terrorism'. Isn't that an endorsement of terrorism? Or was it okay because the President at that time was a Christian?

The journalist also asked why the government (Federal and State) have continued to keep Zakzaky in detention despite a Federal High Court ruling ordering his release. 

To this El-Rufai said, "The Federal government is not prosecuting Az-Zakzaky, they have him in protective custody...Kaduna State government will be the one prosecuting Az-Zakzaky because the crimes were committed in Kaduna state".

Was El-Rufai pretending to be oblivious of the fact that the Federal High Court is superior to the highest court in Kaduna state? Or was he just creating an excuse to keep him in detention? 

El-Rufai also contradicted himself. First, he said, "I am not part of the decision to hold him or not to hold him. And then he said, "When we are ready we will ask the federal government to release him to us so that we put him before a judge in Kaduna". 

It clearly shows that Zakzaky is being held at the behest of the APC governments at the Federal and State government levels with the full participation of Nasir El-Rufai.

Come to think of it, is it true that members of the IMN don't vote? 

Islamic Movement of Nigeria (Shiites) in interview with Charles Anyiagolu of Arise TV said their members would not vote for Buhari in the 2019 polls. The Movement voted en masses for the incumbent President in 2015. In the build up to the 2019 polls, the IMN issued a statement alleging that they were being targeted in a bid to cut them off the voting process.

We cannot continue to be deceived by those Sunnis defending the brutal crackdown in the name of protecting Islam because it is obvious from the comments of Nasir El-Rufai that the crackdown is to stop the 'Islamization' of Nigeria.