A leaked audio recording has surfaced online in which former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, stated that he was grateful for the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
In the recording, obtained by DAILY NIGERIAN, El-Rufai alleged that Yar’Adua had planned to have him injected with a combination of HIV and Hepatitis viruses.
Responding to a question in what seemed to be a Q&A session, El-Rufai reaffirmed his stance, saying, “Now, regarding the question about Umaru Yar’Adua, yes, I am grateful to God because I am alive and Umaru is dead. Because he wanted me killed.”
He further claimed to have received information about a plot to harm him if he returned to Nigeria. “You know, there were plans to inject me with a combination of Hepatitis and HIV. This is what I heard. I don’t know whether it is true or not. But the fact that I am alive and he is dead, I should be grateful to God. Everyone has their own fate and destiny.”
While OSUN DEFENDER could not independently verify the date and location of the recording, the revelation emerges amid ongoing tensions within the Kaduna chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
At a recent APC stakeholders’ meeting in Kaduna’s Murtala Mohammed Square, El-Rufai reportedly referenced his past political battles, stating, “I fought with two presidents—Umaru Yar’Adua ended up in his grave, while President Goodluck Jonathan ended up in Otuoke.”
Despite calling for unity within the party, he warned that he remained a “dogged fighter” and would not back down from opposition.
During the meeting, El-Rufai knelt before party stakeholders, apologizing for any past wrongdoings. “I implore you to tell me the wrong I did to you, and I will apologize. But if it goes beyond today, I will never tender an apology,” he declared.
His political rival, Senator Sulaiman Hunkuyi, also attended the meeting, acknowledging their differences but maintaining respect for the former governor. “There is a difference between politics and the respect I have for you. If you make a single wrong step in politics, I will not hesitate to correct you,” Hunkuyi stated.
The Kaduna APC remains in turmoil, with factions vying for dominance as El-Rufai continues to assert his influence within the party.
