El-Rufai Hits Back At Senator Ben Murray-Bruce

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state has hit back at Senator Ben Murray-Bruce (PDP-Bayelsa East) over his recent comment on the Abuja-Kaduna railway.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Thursday commissioned 10 new coaches and two locomotives for the Abuja-Kaduna route.

Reacting to the commissioning, Murray-Bruce said Buhari should have commended ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for “the train ride he enjoyed in Kaduna,” stating that it was initiated by the former president.

Responding, El-Rufai described Bruce as a liar for saying the project was initiated by Jonathan, adding that ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo started the project which was later abandoned by President Musa Yar’adua and Jonathan.

Again, Bruce had told el-Rufai, that his (El-Rufai’s) hatred for the late Ya’Adua has clouded his judgment on who initiated the Abuja-Kaduna railway.

Bruce wrote: “Your dislike of the late Yar’adua may have clouded your judgment. I made no mention of the ‘Abuja light railway’.

“My tweet referred to the Abuja-Kaduna railway which IS a product of the Jonathan administration. I am happy to publicly debate this with you.”

El-Rufai while reacting to Bruce’s tweet said, “Facts cannot be debated. Opinions are free. While the Obasanjo administration was conceiving the rail modernization programme, Sen Ben-Bruce was organizing beauty contests and Jonathan was a deputy governor. I am not cluelessly common-sensical!”