Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed claims that he was rejected by the National Assembly as a ministerial nominee.
In August 2023, the Senate withheld El-Rufai’s confirmation, citing security concerns raised by the State Security Service (SSS). However, speaking in an interview on Arise TV on Monday, El-Rufai clarified that it was President Bola Tinubu who decided against his appointment.
“After serving for eight years as governor of Kaduna State, I had my plans. The President publicly appealed to me to put my plans on hold, and after some time, we finally agreed that he would nominate me as a minister. There were certain conditions I attached to that,” he explained.
“I think along the line, either the President changed his mind or something else. Please, don’t believe the story that the National Assembly rejected me. The President didn’t want me in his cabinet, he changed his mind. Whatever it is, frankly, I don’t care,” he added.
