Public outrage: El-Rufai missing at The Platform

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, may have caved in to pressure from some Nigerians who opposed his being listed as a speaker at the 2021 edition of The Platform, an annual conference organised by the Senior Pastor of the Covenant Christian Centre, Lagos, Poju Oyemade.

The programme was themed, ‘Is Devolution of Powers The Solution To Nigeria’s Problems’.

The programme featured speakers including Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi; Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah; former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka; ex-President of Nigerian Bar Association, Olisa Agbakoba, amongst others.

However, El-Rufai, who was announced as one of the speakers at the event, was conspicuously absent from the programme on Saturday.

Efforts to get the comments of the Special Adviser on Media and Communication to the governor, Muyiwa Adekeye, proved abortive as calls to his line were unanswered and he was yet to respond to a text message sent to his line by our correspondent as of the time of filing this report.

Also, the organisers of the programme did not give any reason why El-Rufai was not present at the event.

Some Twitter users had kicked against the choice of El-Rufai as a speaker on The Platform when the flyer inviting people to the event went viral with the governor as one of the speakers. Punch