AVM Aliyu Ahmed El-Rufai (rtd), has died in Kaduna.
Ahmed, who is the immediate elder brother of the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, passed away on Saturday.
A statement by the governor’s spokesman, Samuel Aruwan, said the retired Air Vice Marshal died in the early hours of Saturday in Abuja.
The deceased was born on Nov. 10, 1948 in Zaria, Kaduna State and was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force in 1972.
Aliyu retired in 2002 at the rank of Air Vice Marshall after a meritorious military career.
He is survived by his wife, Hajiya Safiya Rufai, six children, brothers and sisters, including Gov. El-Rufai and Alhaji Bashir Ahmad El-Rufai.
The burial prayer is scheduled to hold at the Sultan Bello Mosque, Ungwan Sarki, Kaduna by 4pm.
Meanwhile, Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai has defended his choice of a Muslim Hadiza Balarabe as running mate.
El-Rufai said this while speaking on Channels Television‘s Sunrise Daily.
“What if I tell you that no matter who I choose as my running mate, even if I choose the Pope, 67 per cent of the Christians in Southern Kaduna have made up their minds that they will never vote for me. This is what the polls show,” El-Rufai said when asked if he’s not worried about losing votes from Christians because of his choice.