The All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to Kaduna Governor,
Nasir El-Rufai’s threat that any foreigner who intervenes in Nigeria’s
elections will go back in “body bags”.
In a statement Friday night by the APC National Secretary, Mallam
Lanre Issa-Onilu, the party said it stands fully by the comment.
It noted that it backed the declaration “as regards any country that
thinks we are a colony; that we have a right to defend every inch of
this country; and we are not a banana republic.”
“So what Governor Elrufai said clearly is the position of this
government that we are proud as Nigerians and we are ready to defend the
integrity of this country and that any country that thinks in the name
of election will want to interfere and dictate to us or intimidate us in
any way, it is unacceptable.
“That is exactly what Governor Elrufai has said. The PDP can twist it
the way they want. Governor Elrufai never said people should not come
and observe or monitor elections. And he was not referring to people who
are genuinely coming to monitor and observe the elections.
“Nigerians also go to other countries as monitors and observers. So
that is acceptable to us, we welcome peer review. What we don’t welcome
and what is unacceptable to us is any country thinking we are a colony,
we are not. We are a sovereign nation.”
