Christian leaders in the crisis-ridden Southern Kaduna are under threat of arrest and prosecution on the order of Gov. Nasir el-Rufai as he prepares for local government election in September.
The National Daily gathered that the governor had a meeting with federal lawmakers from the state in Abuja Thursday when he told them he was not going to obey the court order that fixed the election for March.
“He told them he is going to keep the caretaker administrators till March when he will appoint a new set of civil servants to take over from the current administrators,” the source told the National Daily.
According to the source, El-Rufai will conduct the election when the electronic voter machines he ordered arrive in September.
But, in the interim, he plans to keep the lawmakers sweet by giving them slots in the new administration if they forward the names of their candidates to him.
At the meeting were Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi and all other lawmakers from Kaduna—except Senators Sheu Sani and Danjuma Laah. The two were not invited.
For those Christian leaders who asked their followers to defend themselves against Fulani herdsmen killing members of the community, el-Rufai said he will arrest and take them to court.
Many believe the governor is buying time for the conduct of the election because there are indications he and his candidatee will lose if the voters go to the poll in March as court ordered.