by Willy Okonji-
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abayomi Nurain Mumuni, has strongly criticized former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, over his recent remarks about the ruling party’s appointments.
El-Rufai, in a BBC interview, claimed that individuals who worked for the APC’s success were sidelined, while political positions were handed to “Lagos boys.” He further accused the party of abandoning its founding principles in favor of favoritism.
However, in a statement issued on Friday, Mumuni dismissed El-Rufai’s comments as “reckless and divisive,” warning him against dragging Lagos indigenes into his grievances.
“One needs to caution Mallam El-Rufai about his reckless statements,” Mumuni stated. “We were together in the CPC before APC was formed, but he should not drag Lagosians into his unfounded claims. Those he calls ‘Lagos Boys’ are not even bonafide sons of the soil; they are individuals from other states who have lived in Lagos and remained loyal to the President. He should be mindful of his utterances.”
Mumuni, a security expert and former campaign security committee member during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s election, also challenged El-Rufai’s narrative, arguing that genuine Lagos-based APC loyalists had not been rewarded with appointments.
“Some of us, who are true Lagosians and worked tirelessly for the president’s election, have not been appointed to any positions,” he said. “I was in the campaign crew and personally procured equipment for the security committee where I served. Yet, you won’t see me parading the presidency like some people. If the president finds me suitable for an appointment, I will gladly serve, but that time has not come. So, I will not allow a stranger to take me across my father’s compound.”
Dismissing El-Rufai’s criticism of President Tinubu’s administration, Mumuni asserted that the former Kaduna governor had no right to question the contributions of APC members based in Lagos.
