NBA/El-Rufai: At the end, Nigerians are the real losers — Zagga reacts

The whole NBA/El-Rufai Saga has taken over the nation with almost everyone having their say and taking sides. Na-Allah Mohammed Zagga, a journalist from Jos, Plateau State, and member Atiku's Media Organization, has joined the conversation, and suggests Nigerians as usual, are the actual losers at the end of the day.

Zagga said the sudden turn of events, from an issue between a Governor and a Judicial body, to what is now a regional and religious matter, is yet another evidence suggesting the strength of the elite, lies in the use of religion as a weapon to polarize the public.


He said, "I hate it when the elites manipulate religion and ethnicity to hoodwink the people. I didn't hear the voices of the so-called Muslim lawyers when fellow Muslims fell victims of human rights violations at the hands of Northern Muslim Governors. A pensioner and members of his nuclear family were arrested and detained for 13 days without formal charges in court because his wife sent at text message to the Gov of Kebbi State, urging him to fear Allah and pay pensioners their entitlements.

"Curiously, the Muslim lawyers didn't show solidarity with the victims--a husband, wife and son--all of them fellow Muslims. And their oppressor is also a fellow Muslim!



"In November 2019, a lawmaker in Kano had a university student Yahuza Tijjani detained for 59 days without trial for criticizing him on a Facebook post. Again, Muslim lawyers were nowhere to be seen. Other Nigerians who are not lawyers had to fight for his case. Where was their solidarity when a poor woman was suddenly forced off the road by a Governor's spending convoy in Nassarawa State, and she almost lost her life during the incident?

"Where is the credibility of the Muslim lawyers when their solidarity is always with the big men while the weak and poor who are victims of human rights violations are abandoned to their fate? Where was their solidarity with Jaafar Jaafar when Ganduje wanted to harass him over the viral bribery videos?"


Meanwhile, the Deposed Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi ll, on Sunday, has described the governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El - Rufai, as a nationalist and not an ethnic or religious bigot.

Sanusi stated this while reacting to the Nigerian Bar Association’s withdrawal of invitation issued to the Governor as a guest speaker at its 2020 conference.




Sanusi, who was received by Governor El -Rufai at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House at about 1pm, cautioned the body of lawyers not to allow the controversy to take religious or ethnic dimension.

He described the NBA action as “sad for freedom of speech”, noting that that doesn’t depict those who wanted progress.

The former emir said,” I am aware that the vast majority of NBA members do not agree with those things.


“You know if you have an opinion, people will either agree with you or disagree with you but a man who has an opinion that can be agreed with or disagreed with is always better than a man who has no opinion at all.

“Nasir always has opinions. He knows what his positions are on things. He says that position very clearly. People will like it, some people will not like it and that is what some people call controversial and being controversial is actually having an opinion.

”To be honest I do not want to join issues because we have already heard the views of Nigerians and the response.



“Everybody has a right to a fair hearing, and most importantly for me, if you feel that the Governor of Kaduna State is not doing right you should invite him to your covers and ask him to explain what he is doing."