El-Rufai @65: A tribute,by Ismail Omipidan

When, Mr Femi Adesina, who took over from Mr. Onyima as Managing Director of The Sun Publication was appointed the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, Mr. Osagie was appointed the MD. The moment he was announced as the MD, I told my beautiful and

understanding wife, Omolola, that I needed a break because considering our past relationships, I knew it would just be a matter of time before he would come after me. She, however, advised I tarry awhile and watch how events would unfold.

I decided I was going to run for the chairmanship of NUJ Kaduna State. I felt I could use the office to run away from his troubles. Here, I must commend Mallam
Nasir El Rufai for standing for what is just and right. I did not have any direct relationship with him but I had relationships with some of his aides, the likes of Mr. Olumuyiwa Adekeye, Mr Sam Aruwan and others.

When we were campaigning for the chairmanship of Kaduna NUJ, the union was sharply divided along ethnic and religious lines. There were three of us vying
– One was from Southern Kaduna, another from Kebbi State and my humble self from Osun State. In terms of competence and experience, I ranked above my other contenders. I had spent close to six years in the executive of the union, first as Treasurer and later as Vice Chairman. They, however, introduced the politics “namu namu” (“na we -we”.)

When I declared my intention to run for the NUJ chairmanship at the time, Mallam Ibraheem Musa, who later led my campaign as the Director General, asked what a serious journalist like me was looking for
in NUJ politics. I reminded him that if the best of the lawyers were leading the NBA, it was high time we put our best foot forward in the NUJ. Besides, I told him of the need to sanitise the union. I, consequently joined the race. There was a serious gang up against me, with some asking me to go to Osun my home state and contest the NUJ chairmanship there. In
fact, our first proposed campaign DG, a Katsina man, Mallam Lawal Maikudi, turned down the offer to lead the project barely 24 hours to the start of our campaigns after initially agreeing to lead the campaign. Mallam
Ibraheem Musa, a Kanuri from Borno State, who was then our deputy DG, however took up the challenge. They tried to dissuade him from leading the campaign, but he refused.
One evening after a campaign tour, I returned to the Press Centre and there was blackout. I decided to observe my prayers in the mosque. After my prayers, as I sat down and I overheard a conversation among Muslims faithful who were not journalists but friends of
NUJ analysing the chances of chairmanship candidate and who to support. That was the night I knew that the contest was clearly between myself and the Kebbi man. I heard one of the analysts saying that if they
were to base it on religion that they would prefer me to the Kebbi person. According to them, they always saw me praying with them in the mosque as opposed to the other man who claimed to be a Hausa person but rarely seen in the mosque. Unfortunately for me,
NEPA restored power and that was how they knew I was in their midst and they exclaimed “Ah chairman, if we were abusing you, that’s how you would get us tonight”. The issue was later extended to the Government House and those who were supporting me were very forceful. They reached out to who is
who in town and when the matter reached Mallam El-Rufai, he stated clearly that he would not be a party to tribal politics. That was how I got financial and moral support from Mallam El-Rufai through his then Chief of Staff, Hajia Hadiza Bala Usman, who till date cannot recognise me if she sees me on the street. I am grateful for that gesture.

Postscript:

What you have just read is an excerpt from my book: “Persona Non Grata,” which is already on sale. But today is Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s birthday. I know he may have forgotten. But I kept my diary. Help me pray for him and his children, please. May Allah send helpers their way. Happy birthday to you, sir! Allah ya kara shekaru ma su alubarika.