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.”
