Master of contradiction, you once supported, paid bandits – Presidency hits El-Rufai

The presidency has accused former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, of double standards in his position on negotiations with bandits.

Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on X on Monday, described El-Rufai as a “master of ambivalence.”

He alleged that the former governor once spearheaded the payment of bandits in a bid to restore peace but now criticizes such measures for political reasons.

He said: “Malam Nasir EL-Rufai is the master of ambivalence. Once upon a time, he supported and led the way in paying bandits to calm them. Today, in the name of politics, he opposes it.”

DAILY POST reports that El-Rufai has in recent weeks openly disagreed with the Bola Tinubu administration over its approach to tackling insecurity, particularly its stance against negotiating with terrorists and bandits.

His comments had sparked mixed reactions, with the government accusing him of spreading falsehood.

The Tinubu government said it has consistently maintained that it would not pay ransom to the bandits.