The Presidency has accused former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufa’i, of double standards in his position on negotiations with bandits.
In a post on X on Monday, Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, described el-Rufa’i as a “master of ambivalence”.
He alleged that the former governor once spearheaded the payment of bandits in a bid to restore peace, but now criticizes such measures for political reasons.
He said: “Nasir el-Rufa’i is the master of ambivalence. Once upon a time, he supported and led the way in paying bandits to calm them. Today, in the name of politics, he opposes it”.
Recall that el-Rufa’i has in recent weeks openly disagreed with the Bola Tinubu administration over its approach to tackling insecurity, particularly its stance against negotiating with terrorists and bandits. His comments had sparked mixed reactions, with the government accusing him of spreading falsehood.
The Tinubu administration said it has consistently maintained that it would not pay ransom to the bandits.
