Hot Exchanges Between El-Rufai And Bruce Over Rail Project

There seems to be no end to the hot exchange of words between Nasir el-Rufai, Kaduna State governor, and Ben Bruce, senator representing Bayelsa East, in the Upper Chamber.

Nasir el Rufai

The latest exchange between the duo is over the Abuja- Kaduna rail project, which the Senator wants President Muhammadu Buhari to acknowledge the contribution of Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to the realization of the project.

Bruce in a tweet on his twitter handle @benmurraybruce wrote: “I hope President @MBuhari remembers to say thank you to former President @GEJonathan for the train ride he enjoyed in Kaduna. Some of us haven’t forgotten that that achievement was ENTIRELY the handiwork of the Jonathan government. Nigeria should give honour to whom honour is due.”

But in his reply, el-Rufai fired back in another tweet “Wrong Distinguished Senator! The Obasanjo administration which Jonathan was not part of, designed, raised the financing and started the EPC of the Lagos-Kano dual track-standard gauge rail system, and the Abuja Light Rail. Yar’Adua-Jonathan stalled both projects for two years.

His reply prompted Bruce to challenge the governor to a debate over the issue, which el-Rufai dismissed.

According to the governor, “There is nothing to debate. Facts cannot be debated. Opinions are free. While the Obasanjo administration was conceiving the rail modernization programme, Sen Ben-Bruce was organising beauty contests and Jonathan was a deputy governor. I am not cluelessly, common-sensical.