Those presently clamouring against the religious
bill proposed by Governor Nasir El-Rufai of
Kaduna State may be in for a long drawn battle as
the Governor has revealed that many state
governments are ready to toe the same path and
have asked for a copy of the bill to replicate in
their states.
El-Rufai, who made this disclosure yesterday while
interacting with select journalists at the Sir Kashim
Ibrahim Government House in Kaduna, said the
proposed law was sent to the state House of
Assembly since October 15, 2015 and was not a
new bill as being speculated.
He explained that: “It was first enacted in 1984
during the term of Air Vice Marshal Usman Mua’zu
(retd) after the Maitsine uprising in 1982. The then
military junta saw the need to regulate preaching
in some states in the North.
“Many states are ready to do similar thing now.
They have asked for the copy of our bill. I will not
name the states.”
He went on to debunk claims that he walked out
on the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo,
when he tried to reach an understanding with him
on a particular issue, stressing that that the
speculation was the handwork of his political
detractors.
El-Rufai, who maintained that he enjoys an
excellent relationship with the Vice-President,
insisted that there was never a time he walked out
on him, adding that the authors of such stories
were mischievous.
According to him, “I have never attended a
meeting where the President and the Vice-
President were all in the same room.“I think the
only time where the President and the Vice-
president were around and I was in attendance
was when the National Economic Council, NEC,
was inaugurated by Mr President. He (President)
came and delivered his address and left.”