Godfatherism: Gov El-Rufai under fire for attacking Tinubu

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has berated the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, for insisting that political godfathers in Lagos State must be retired.

El-Rufai, who recently said he overcame the carnage of godfatherism in his state, urged Lagos State to replicate same, a comment that drew mixed reactions from Nigerians, especially the political class.

Despite the condemnations that greeted his comment, the governor yesterday insisted that he owed nobody an apology for asking people of the state to disregard godfatherism. 

But in a swift reaction last night, Lagos State chapter of APC lambasted the governor, saying talk was cheap, adding Tinubu remained their leader.

A statement by the state’s spokesperson, Joe Igbokwe read: ”They want to be like Asiwaju, they want to command respect, they want the world to accept them the way they have accepted Asiwaju, they want to get great followers like Asiwaju BAT, they want to be admired the way people admire Asiwaju, they want the people to love them the way they love Asiwaju, they want to stand tall anywhere they go like Asiwaju, they want to attract attention like Asiwaju, they want to be celebrated and honored like Asiwaju, they want to be worshiped the way Asiwaju great followers worship him, they want be lifted up the way God has lifted Asiwaju up, they want to be noticed like Asiwaju, they want to stand out like Asiwaju and they want to influence decisions at all levels like Asiwaju, etc.’

“Talk is cheap, anybody can make any statement. They want to be like Asiwaju, they want to command respect, they want the world to accept them the way they have accepted Asiwaju, they want to be admired the way people admire Asiwaju. Tinubu lauds Nigerians on Buhari’s re-election says he will continue anti-corruption fight

“But in actions and deeds, they are not like Asiwaju. In character and intolerance, they are not like Asiwaju. In commitment and hard work, they are not like BAT. In grace and empathy, they are not like BAT. In temperament and love for humanity, they are not like Asiwaju.

“They cannot surrender their home to the people the way BAT has been doing. They cannot fight for others the way BAT does. They cannot deny themselves freedom for the sake of others the way BAT does. They cannot stand for ordinary people the way Asiwaju does.

“They cannot be trusted the way we trust BAT. They cannot give the way BAT does. They cannot sacrifice what BAT has sacrificed for humanity for close to 40 years. They cannot live for others the way Asiwaju has done for years. I can go on and on but he who must lead others must first lead himself.

“We follow our leader, Asiwaju, because he works for us, even when we are sleeping. We follow and honour our leader because he breaks his back for us. We follow him because he cares for all of us. We follow him because he knows where he is going. We follow BAT because he has earned our trust for decades now.

“We follow him because he has never disappointed us. We follow Asiwaju because he is focused and dynamic. We follow Asiwaju because he has not failed us. We follow him because he is dependable.

“We follow him because he fights for us. We follow him because the man is a deep thinker. We follow Asiwaju because he values us without measure.”