El-Rufai’s claim of arrest for public sympathy – Omokri

Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has berated former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, dismissing his recent claims of an impending arrest as a ploy for public sympathy.

Omokri, in a statement on X, described El-Rufai as a “pathological liar” and “master of manipulation,” accusing him of fabricating stories to serve his personal interests.

He made reference to El-Rufai’s past admission of spreading falsehoods in the media, citing Segun Adeniyi’s book, Power, Politics, and Death, which detailed how El-Rufai helped create the myth of a “cabal” around late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to undermine the First Lady, Turai Yar’Adua.

“If El-Rufai could lie against a dying man and his grieving wife, who is Tinubu that he cannot lie against?” Omokri queried.

Omokri further referenced former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s autobiography, My Watch, where the ex-president described El-Rufai as someone with a “penchant for reputation savaging” and “an inability to be loyal to anybody but himself.”

Dismissing El-Rufai’s claim that he postponed an overseas study to stay and challenge the government, Omokri alleged that the former governor might not even be able to secure visas to Western countries due to his past controversial remarks.

He recalled how El-Rufai’s 2019 statement threatening foreign election observers with “body bags” led to a strong condemnation from the European Union.

“El-Rufai is not staying in Nigeria out of patriotism. He is staying because he has nowhere to run,” Omokri asserted.

The former presidential aide also accused El-Rufai of making false allegations against him and Senator Shehu Sani, claiming they were recruited to tarnish his reputation. “How can we destroy a reputation he never had?” Omokri retorted.

He concluded by stating that El-Rufai’s arrest claims were likely a diversion tactic to cover up his inability to leave the country.

“El-Rufai lies, manipulates, and deceives. That’s what he does best,” Omokri added.