Chief Spokesperson of the Labour Party Campaign Council, Dr Yunusa Tanko, has released photo evidence aimed at debunking allegation by the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, against the Presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi.
Recall that the Kaduna Governor on Monday, October 17, 2022, at the Arewa House, revealed that he was arrested and detained by the DSS on the orders of then Governor Peter Obi, when he went to observe the 2013 Anambra Governorship by-election.
But Dr Tanko, at an on-going media chat in Abuja, refuted the governor’s claim, while detailing all that transpired at the time as IPAC Chairman of Anambra Guber poll and how his team, through their situation room, waded into the matter and rescued El-Rufai.
He showed journalists photos of the press conference he addressed and how at no time did El-Rufai mention Obi’s name, as it was the Department of Security Service, DSS that caged El-Rufai.
In the press statement he read tagged: ‘SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT ON EL-RUFAI’s BLATANT LIES ON LABOUR PARTY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, PETER OBI’, Tanko gave a vivid account of what transpired in 2013 and said it has no link to Peter Obi in any form.
Read the unedited full statement below;
“On the 16th of November, 2013, I was the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), chairman then, I was in charge of all political parties leaders, we were at the Finotel Hotel in Awka, Anambra State. Normally all complaints that comes from any political Party comes to our table, we had a situation room, organized by international Republican Institute, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and my humble self and many others actually stayed in the same hotel.
“I was surprised that Mallam Nasir El-Rufai was claiming that he was attacked or more less been gagged because when he complained, we really investigated and we conducted a press conference on the matter as signifying the fact that Mallam Nasir El-Rufai was at that time the deputy National Secretary of APC , and so he should be allowed to perform his duty according to party’s dictates and then, there was no ambiguity because the security present at that time was to protect all senior personnel of political parties in that hotel.
“So the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, who was the governor of the state at that time has nothing to do with any security issue that was labeled on him by Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
“I have photos to prove how we addressed a press conference at Finotel Hotel, Awka condemning the DSS for illegally detaining El-Rufai. He never for once mentioned Peter Obi all through this long process of helping him get out of the jam.
“Like I said earlier, communication technology has gone digital, you don’t have to stress much to get your facts.
“This same El-Rufai went to court on this same issue, Obi was not mentioned rather it was the DSS and he got a judgment against them.
“The court awarded him N2million for damages for unlawful detention. Go into the internet and you will see the full details. Precisely it was published in Premium times and Sahara Reporters of September 24th, 2014.
“The facts are all there for all discerning Nigerians to see that all he has been saying are tissues of lies deliberately designed to rubbish our presidential candidate.
“Nigerians should ignore his rantings and treat such stories with disdain because they are from the pit of hell orchestrated by the APC Government that’s already drowned and cannot be revived with fictional stories.
“Gentlemen of the press, you know it’s not in the labour party’s character to discuss personality, we and indeed our candidate dwell on issues and my appeal to you as the fourth estate of the realm is to stand up and save this democracy and save our dear nation from gullible elites.
“What we can assure is that labour party by the grace of God if we win, will rebuild this country in such a way that only the upright people and not the crooks will direct the affairs of our nation going forward.”