Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and gubernatorial candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna, says he has uncovered plans by President Goodluck Jonathan to lead the country into war in order to stay in office beyond 2015.

El-Rufai made the caim today while addressing journalists during a courtesy call on the Correspondents Chapel, Kaduna.

He said Jonathan and his strategists were trying to exploit the part of the Nigerian Constitution which provides that when there is war, the country cannot hold election.

El-Rufai declared that his party and, indeed, Nigerians, would not accept any such development because election must hold in all part of the country as scheduled by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to him, “Jonathan is leading the country into war in order not to have election in 2015 so he can enjoy additional six months or there about as stipulated in the constitution. But we will not allow that to happen.

“Everybody in PDP is on his own, whereas, in APC, we are working together in unity as a party, from counselor to president.”

El-Rufai also claimed that each Nigerian child born today is already owing N15,000.

He said that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has resolved over time to become criminal. He added that the ruling party has been escalating insecurity and keeps disintegrating the nation.

“I want to build a state where there will not be indigene or alien. A child born today is already owing N15,000 debt. We will improve on Internal Generated Revenue to get things done the way they should be,” El-Rufai stated.

When questioned on his plans for Kaduna should he emerge as the state governor come 2015, El-Rufai said Kaduna was different from Abuja, but quickly added that if people elect him, it means they want changes and “I can address the challenges facing the state.

“This is the first time that a sitting governor in the state would be that tensed up to the extent that he saying ‘I am not from Kaduna’.”

The former minister frowned at been referred to as controversial, saying he only tends to get things done even when others thought such task was difficult, which, according to him, got him attracted to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“If I was controversial, it would have been known before I became FCT Minister,” he added.

•Photo shows El-Rufai.

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