The governor of Kaduna state, Nasir el-Rufai says any “foreign power” that interferes with the general election would return to their country in body bags.
El-Rufai speaking during an NTA Live programme on Tuesday evenin said as an independent and sovereign state, Nigeria would never bow to foreign powers.
“Those that are calling for anyone to come and intervene in Nigeria, we are waiting for the person that would come and intervene, they would go back in body bags,” he said.
Recalling a period when Nigeria had intervened in Sierra Leone and Liberia’s political affairs in the 1990s, he said the interference was as a result of a consensus by the international community and it was also a “gesture of neighbourliness”.
He said foreign countries have been through “though phases” before developing into world powers, adding that Nigeria is trying to run itself as decently as possible.”
The Kaduna state governor’s remarks are coming after Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman said the federal government will not tolerate any foreign interference in the nation’s affairs.
Shehu was reacting to criticisms by US, UK and EU following the suspension of Walter Onnoghen, former chief justice of Nigeria (CJN) by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Nigeria reserves the right to be insulated from suggestions and or interference with respect to wholly internal affairs and commends international laws, customs and norms that mandate and require nations and the comity to respect this prerogative to all,” the presidential spokesman had said.
The anglo-american duo had also threatened to place travel restrictions on those who incite violence or interfere in proceedings during the elections.
