I’m not barred from politics - el-Rufai

Idowu Samuel, Abuja - 28.08.2008

former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has dismissed insinuation about his possible ban from partisan politics, stating that he remained in politics for good.

Speaking through his Chief of Staff, Balarabe Abass Lawal, the former minister carpeted Senator Ikechukwu Obiora for saying that the Senate would ensure his ban from active politics in line with an earlier recommendation to that effect by a Senate committee.

Rufai described the remarks by the senator as unguarded, stating that he had committed no offence to warrant being banned from politics.

He had challenged the Senate resolution in court. Senator Obiora had been quoted as saying that the National Assembly was at liberty to stop el-Rufai from holding any political office in future in view of the Senate resolution to that effect, averring that no court could restrain the National Assembly from doing so.

El-Rufai said he was shocked that a senator of Obiora’s standing could still be whipping sentiments on the issue of his ban from politics, stating that the comment by him amounted to intimidating the judiciary.

“Our immediate reaction is one of shock that a senator of who expects Nigerians to obey the laws he contributed to making could attempt to intimidate the judiciary, based on his warped interpretation of the concept of separation of powers in our constitution,” he said.