A former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, may be on collision course with the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party as he has said he will not vote for the party in the 2011 elections.



El-Rufai, who is also a staunch member of the PDP, however, did not give reasons for his decision.



He made this known while giving a remark at the 50th birthday thanksgiving service of the Mrs. Layide Bakare, wife of the Convener, Save Nigeria Group and founder of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, on Sunday in Lagos.



Bakare had invited el-Rufai to give his remarks as a guest at the ceremony, where the Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, and the former Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Chief Titi Oseni, were in attendance.



The cleric had initially challenged Daniel to a “balloon debate” on why the electorate should vote for the PDP or not in the 2011 election but he quickly added that the debate was not for the occasion.



Bakare said, “I have said it before; that to move this nation forward, we need to kick out the PDP. I have friends there like OGD (Daniel) but when the matter comes to how Nigeria will move forward, there is no compromise.”



El-Rufai, who described Bakare and Daniel as his leaders, said he aligned with the position of the cleric on the people opting to use their vote to liberate the country.



“Pastor Bakare is my leader. Our governor, Otunba Daniel, is also my political leader. But just like pastor had said, I will not vote for the PDP,” he said amid applause from the congregation.”



The former minister, who advised that religion or ethnicity should not be allowed to divide Nigerians, said one’s religious belief was a function of his background, culture and even language.



Bakare added that the electorate would have the upper hand in the 2011, He said that the SNG would mobilise 12 million voters, who would be able to determine the outcome of any electoral contest.



He said, “SNG is not a political party; I’m not a member of any political party but let me tell you, 2011 election is the election of voters; not of any political party.



“We are mobilising 12 million voters across the country. These are non-partisan people who will be able to determine the results of any elections. This time around, if anyone tries to rig the elections, we are ready to use every weapon at our disposal to fight to defend the votes.”



Daniel said that the “body language” and the “people around” the cleric suggested that he “is heading somewhere.”



“We are watching your body language. When one sees the likes of el-Rufai, Mr. Yinka Odumakin and even Dr. Okei-Odumakin around you (Bakare), we know you are heading somewhere,” the governor said.



He, however, threw a challenge to Bakare when he said,”But when you are going there, know that I’m also building my church. So, we are moving in opposite directions.”



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