The governor's son sarcastically referred to the former president as the "only Saint in Nigeria".
Bashir El-Rufai, son of Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, appeared to take a shot at former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, in a social media post over his public criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari's administration.
In a statement released by Obasanjo on Tuesday, January 23, 2018, he issued a scathing review of President Buhari's performance and advised him to not contest for reelection in 2019 for the sake of his health and the country's progress.
In a reaction to the statement, Bashir took to his Twitter account (@BashirElRufai) on Wednesday, January 24, to direct a sarcastic remark at the former president.
He posted, "Once again, Obasanjo's Messiah Complex manifests itself.
The only Saint in Nigeria."
The post led into a war of words between him and Reno Omokri, aide to former president, Goodluck Jonathan.
Omokri responded to Bashir's tweet by noting that Obasanjo aided his father's political career to which Bashir said was none of his business.
Omokri later called Bashir out for his disrespect in another tweet, calling Governor El-Rufai a "serial betrayer and Buhari's house boy".
Bashir fired back by calling Omokri "a cancerous curse", insisting that he did not disrespect Obasanjo.
Obasanjo's attack on Buhari
In Tuesday's 13-page statement titled, "The Way Out: A Clarion Call for Coalition for Nigeria Movement", the former president made his feelings about Buhari's administration known by poking at its most pointed failures that have become a consistent source of anguish for many Nigerians.
Obasanjo faulted the president for exhibiting nepotic interest in his dealings as the nation's Commander-in-Chief and dividing the country as a result.
The former president advised Buhari to step down after the end of his tenure in 2019 and decline to seek re-election because he doesn't appear to possess the ability to move the country any further than he already has.
He said, "President Buhari needs a dignified and honourable dismount from the horse. He needs to have time to reflect, refurbish physically and recoup and after appropriate rest, once again, join the stock of Nigerian leaders whose experience, influence, wisdom and outreach can be deployed on the sideline for the good of the country.
"President Buhari does not necessarily need to heed my advice. But whether or not he heeds it, Nigeria needs to move on and move forward."
Buhari's reelection status
While the president has refused to officially declare his intention to seek reelection in 2019, he has flirted around the topic in recent months.
While meeting with the Nigerian community in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire in November 2017, the president explained that he was accompanied to the meeting by two state governors because it will "be another vote for me in the future."
Also, while speaking during a two-day visit to Kano State a week later, the president said he's confident of winning reelection particularly due to the crowd turnout.
"I am overwhelmed by the sea of people I see, and by what I see today, if elections are contested I will no doubt win it," he said.
Hours after media reports indicated that Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi had been reappointed as Buhari's national campaign coordinator on January 3, 2018, the Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, told journalists in the State House that the campaign for Buhari's reelection has officially taken off in the southwest region.
Obasanjo: El-Rufai's son takes Twitter shot at ex-President over Buhari criticism
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