El-Rufai Replies Murray-Bruce: ‘You were Organizing Beauty Pageants When OBJ Conceived Rail Modernisation’

The Twitter war between Nasir el-Rufai, Kaduna state governor, and Ben Bruce, senator representing Bayelsa east, has stepped up a notch.

Both men have been involved in a heated argument recently on who should get the credit for the Abuja-Kaduna rail project.

Senator Bruce had on Thursday told President Muhammadu Buhari to put pride aside and say “thank you” to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, saying the Abuja-Kaduna rail project was entirely the former president’s achievement.

“I hope President Muhammadu Buhari remembers to say thank you to former President Goodluck Jonathan for the train ride he enjoyed in Kaduna,” the Senator wrote on Twitter.

I hope President @MBuhari remembers to say thank you to former President @GEJonathan for the train ride he enjoyed in Kaduna. Some of us haven’t forgotten that that achievement was ENTIRELY the handiwork of the Jonathan government. Nigeria should give honour to whom honour is due

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) January 4, 2018

Reacting on Friday, Governor El-Rufai, who took a train ride from Rigasa to Kakuri with the President on Thursday, accused the senator of feeding the public with wrong information about the standard gauge rail system.

In a statement via his official Twitter handle, the governor said Former President Jonathan deserves no credit for the project, as he was not part of it.

While accusing the Jonathan government of stalling the project, the governor said credit should be given to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, who according to him designed, financed and started the Abuja- Kaduna Light Rail.

El-Rufai said, “Wrong Distinguished Senator! The Obasanjo administration which Jonathan was not part of, designed, raised the financing and started the EPC of the Lagos-Kano dual track-standard gauge rail system, and the Abuja Light Rail. Yar’Adua-Jonathan stalled both projects for two years!

 

Wrong Distinuguisnhed Senator! The Obasanjo administration which Jonathan was not part of, designed, raised the financing and started the EPC of the Lagos-Kano dual track-standard gauge rail system, and the Abuja Light Rail. Yar’Adua-Jonathan stalled both projects for two years! https://t.co/wVc45vKjyX

— Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai (@elrufai) January 5, 2018

But the Senator, who would not let Mr El-Rufai get the last laugh, challenged the governor to a public debate on the matter.

He wrote: “Your dislike of the late Yar’adua may have clouded your judgment. I made no mention of the ‘Abuja light railway’. My tweet referred to the Abuja-Kaduna railway which IS a product of the Jonathan administration. I am happy to publicly debate this with you.”

 

Your dislike of the late Yar’adua may have clouded your judgment. I made no mention of the ‘Abuja light railway’. My tweet referred to the Abuja-Kaduna railway which IS a product of the Jonathan administration. I am happy to publicly debate this with you. https://t.co/sIl2KBNFK0

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) January 5, 2018

Reacting to the challenge, El-Rufai insisted credit should be given to Obasanjo for the rail projects.

According to the governor, when Obasanjo conceived the idea of rail projects across the country, Bruce “was organizing beauty contests and Jonathan was a deputy governor”.

“There is nothing to debate. Facts cannot be debated. Opinions are free,” El-Rufai wrote.

“While the Obasanjo administration was conceiving the rail modernization programme, Sen Ben-Bruce was organizing beauty contests and Jonathan was a deputy governor. I am not cluelessly common-sensical!”

 

There is nothing to debate. Facts cannot be debated. Opinions are free. While the Obasanjo administration was conceiving the rail modernization programme, Sen Ben-Bruce was organizing beauty contests and Jonathan was a deputy governor. I am not cluelessly common-sensical! ~ Nasir https://t.co/5VwAQVo26Y

— Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai (@elrufai) January 6, 2018