The Former FCT minister, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, is believed to be the favourite to fly the  flag of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 governorship election in Kaduna State, party, according to insiders.

El-Rufai will be having a head-to-head clash with Hon. Ashiru Isa Mohammed Kudan, who is the vice-chairman of the plum appropriation committee of the house of representatives.

It has been gathered that, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, a national leader of the party who enjoys enormous goodwill in Kaduna State, is backing the candidacy of el-Rufai.

While Kudan is being backed by the former governor of the state, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi , although Makarfi is in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is also said to be backing Kudan, who defected from PDP to APC early this year as part of his plans to run for governorship since the current governor, Alhaji Ramalan Yero, is virtually certain to pick PDP’s ticket. However, el-Rufai’s deft moves in the APC state congress have placed him in an excellent position for the governorship ticket of the party.



TheCable was informed that he controls over 70% of the party structure in the state and successfully helped to install Hon. Barnabas Bala Bantex as the state chairman. Bantex’s emergence was significant because that was one of the few times a Kaduna Christian would be state chairman of a major opposition political party, a move that is said to have endeared el-Rufai and APC to the southern Kaduna people. Aside the novelty of his chairmanship, Bantex is also a popular politician in southern Kaduna, having been chairman of Kaura LGA and a member of the house of representatives before. Bantex was elected state chairman in a competitive election in June, polling 634 votes to defeat his closest rival and Ashiru’s candidate, Aliyu Lawal Silver, who had 381 delegates in his corner. Sadiq Mamman Lagos, backed by Senator Mohammed Sani Saleh, vice-chairman of senate committee on foreign affairs, got only 299 votes.

One of the factors counting in favour of el-Rufai is the fact that the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), to which he belonged, forms the largest bloc in APC, which is a merger of Nigeria’s leading opposition parties. CPC is very popular in Kaduna State and was believed, at least by its members and sympathisers, to have won the governorship election in 2011. However, the official results showed that PDP’s Patrick Yakowa ─ who would later die in an air mishap ─ scored 1,334,319 votes to defeat CPC’s Haruna Sa’eed who got 1,133,564. It was a narrow margin, in the end. Kaduna is one of the “swing” states in Nigeria where no party is very sure of winning in the general election, but APC stalwarts are confident PDP will be swept out in 2015. However, it is not just el-Rufai and Ashiru that are interested in APC’s ticket. Other aspirants are: former deputy governor of the state, James Bawa Magaji; Senator Dati Baba-Ahmed; Group Captain Bala Zaza Gora; and Hon. Samsudeen Ango Abdullahi.

 source: http://www.today.ng/politics/kaduna2015-el-rufai-to-fly-apc-flag/?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=kaduna2015-el-rufai-to-fly-apc-flag

Time to teach the midget a valuable lesson. Elections are not won by incessantly criticizing a sitting govt without proffering solutions and politics is not a twitter game.

ratiken: Time to teach the midget a valuable lesson. Elections are not won by incessantly criticizing a sitting govt without proffering solutions and politics is not a twitter game.

I see him winning tho, he's very strong in Kaduna

Tosin007:
I see him winning tho, he's very strong in Kaduna

Once El-rufai gets that ticket, it's straight to government house.

Tosin007:
I see him winning tho, he's very strong in Kaduna

defeating PDP in kaduna is not fufu.

I wonder how the people of Southern Kaduna perceive El-Rufai.

Tosin007:
I see him winning tho, he's very strong in Kaduna

lol strong where, Elrufai is an unknown quantity in kaduna, he is only trying to ride on Buhari's popularity to win, as long as PDP holds southern Kaduna, victory is sure as they always split the northern part of the state with the opposition,

Omexonomy: defeating PDP in kaduna is not fufu.

Mumu! Do you think is Akwa state?

SenseiX:
lol strong where, Elrufai is an unknown quantity in kaduna, he is only trying to ride on Buhari's popularity to win, as long as PDP holds southern Kaduna, victory is sure as they always split the northern part of the state with the opposition,

You don't know anything about Kaduna.

I wish him all the best!

Clerverly:

Mumu! Do you think is Akwa state?

See, Kaduna is always a nail biter between the PDP and whichever party buhari supports ANPp,CPC and now APC, PDP has always had a slight edge because they usually sweep Southern Kaduna and share the northern kaduna votes with the opposition especially now that the current gov is from Zaria, Buhari's popularity might aid nasir but he is an upstart as far as KD politics is, if a stronger Haruna Saed still narrowly lost to ca Christian yakowa despite buhari's popularity, what guarantees you that Abuja boy elrufai can upstage incumbent Zazzau boy Yero

Straight win for elrufai

One thing is clear, the battle for Kaduna ain't gonna be easy...

LordVarys:
See, Kaduna is always a nail biter between the PDP and whichever party buhari supports ANPp,CPC and now APC, PDP has always had a slight edge because they usually sweep Southern Kaduna and share the northern kaduna votes with the opposition especially now that the current gov is from Zaria, Buhari's popularity might aid nasir but he is an upstart as far as KD politics is, if a stronger Haruna Saed still narrowly lost to ca Christian yakowa despite buhari's popularity, what guarantees you that Abuja boy elrufai can upstage incumbent Zazzau boy Yero

The current sentiments in the state favours Elrufai! You can take that to the bank! The people of southern Kaduna have not forgiven the incumbent, as they perceive him as one of the schemers who killed their son-Yakowa. The election would be a landslide for El rufai.

ratiken: Time to teach the midget a valuable lesson. Elections are not won by incessantly criticizing a sitting govt without proffering solutions and politics is not a twitter game.

If you want him to proffer solutions, then vote him/his party in...

Winning things

LordVarys:
See, Kaduna is always a nail biter between the PDP and whichever party buhari supports ANPp,CPC and now APC, PDP has always had a slight edge because they usually sweep Southern Kaduna and share the northern kaduna votes with the opposition especially now that the current gov is from Zaria, Buhari's popularity might aid nasir but he is an upstart as far as KD politics is, if a stronger Haruna Saed still narrowly lost to ca Christian yakowa despite buhari's popularity, what guarantees you that Abuja boy elrufai can upstage incumbent Zazzau boy Yero

You and I know that Yero and his godfather Namadi Sambo are political lilliputs in Kaduna state. Yakowa was a better poltitcian than these two.

The only thing that might work against El rufai's candidacy is the fact that he is a radical progressive and change agent which runs contrary to the conservative nature of the north. To make matters worse, the man behind him( Gen Buhari) is seen in the same light.

The battle for the soul of Kaduna will be narrowed down to a contest between Buhari and Makarfi. It is pertinent the PDP aligns with Makarfi to ensure their candidate wins. If they keep counting on Sambo and Yero; they shall loose Kaduna in a heavy loss to the APC, but would retain the House of Assembly.

[color=#990000][/color]

patrickmuf: If you want him to proffer solutions, then vote him/his party in...

SMART RESPONSE. BUT CAN HE UNDERSTAND IT?

Clerverly:

Mumu! Do you think is Akwa state?

captain of the supporter of APC you will never cease to suprise me.

If Elrufai gets the ticket then its gonna be a landslide victory for APC.

LordVarys:
See, Kaduna is always a nail biter between the PDP and whichever party buhari supports ANPp,CPC and now APC, PDP has always had a slight edge because they usually sweep Southern Kaduna and share the northern kaduna votes with the opposition especially now that the current gov is from Zaria, Buhari's popularity might aid nasir but he is an upstart as far as KD politics is, if a stronger Haruna Saed still narrowly lost to ca Christian yakowa despite buhari's popularity, what guarantees you that Abuja boy elrufai can upstage incumbent Zazzau boy Yero

You and I know that Yero and his godfather Namadi Sambo are political lilliputs in Kaduna state. Yakowa was a better poltitcian than these two. Sambo and Yero, due to the way they mishandled Yakowa's death, have succeeded in pitching the southern Kaduna people against the candidacy of Yero. He would be a hard sale, in southern Kaduna, should the PDP field him. Don't forget that southern Kaduna had been the base of PDP in the state. The President is mindful of this fact and that's why he, at a time, mulled over the candidature of late Sen. Isaiah Balat to placate southern Kaduna people(though it would have been misinterpreted as undermining northern Kaduna people)

The only thing that might work against El rufai's candidacy is the fact that he is a radical progressive and change agent which runs contrary to the conservative nature of the north. To make matters worse, the man behind him( Gen Buhari) is seen in the same light.

The battle for the soul of Kaduna will be narrowed down to a contest between Buhari and Makarfi. It is pertinent the PDP aligns with Makarfi to ensure their candidate wins. If they keep counting on Sambo and Yero; they shall loose Kaduna in a heavy loss to the APC, but would retain the House of Assembly.

Omexonomy: captain of the supporter of APC you will never cease to suprise me.

pilot of olumba olumba,you will never cease to amaze me.fool

Clerverly:

You don't know is anything about Kaduna.

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may the will of the people prevail... all we want is a better country

Best of luck to the people of Kaduna

Elrufai is popular in kaduna so is his boss GMB. We need progressive gov to rebuild KD

Elrufai is popular in kaduna so is his boss GMB. We need progressive gov to rebuild KD.

HNosegbe: I wonder how the people of Southern Kaduna perceive El-Rufai.

terrorist

Clerverly:

You don't know anything about Kaduna.

Tell them something, you know say you virtually live in every state in Nigeria , This time around is it you or your papa that live there. Ono na ndo afu onwa.

ejakpovi2: pilot of olumba olumba,you will never cease to amaze me.fool

juju piken how far

Hangard:
Tell them something, you know say you virtually live in every state in Nigeria , This time around is it you or your papa that live there. Ono na ndo afu onwa.

I bu onye ara!

Clerverly:

You don't know anything about Kaduna.

mr clelverly abi what do called urself? Mr know it all. Must u comment on all pollitical matter, u always want to impress ur pay masters unknowingly that sometimes u contradict urself. I despise people like u.