FCT, Abuja – A former presidential spokesperson, Reno Omokri, said former Kaduna Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, wasn’t appointed a minister because he allegedly failed security checks and wasn’t confirmed by the National Assembly.
Legit.ng recalls that El-Rufai claimed that President Tinubu “changed his mind on the nomination” and that he was not rejected by the national assembly.
Omokri said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu actually nominated el-Rufai as a minister and sent his name to the national assembly.
The social commentator alleged that El-Rufai failed his security screening woefully after the National Assembly requested security clearance from both national and international security and intelligence agencies.
He stated this on X @renoomokri while reacting to El-Rufai’s allegations against President Tinubu and NSA Ribadu on Arise Television on Monday, February 24, 2025.
Omokri alleged that the former governor is bitter and attacking people because his desire to be a minister was scuttled.
“He was considered a diplomatic liability to Nigeria because, on Thursday, February 7, 2019, Malam Nasir el-Rufai threatened European Union observers with death if they intervened in Nigeria’s impending Presidential elections, which were to take place on Saturday, February 16, 2019.”
Omokri quoted El-Rufai saying:
“We are waiting for the person who will come and intervene. They will go back in body bags because nobody will come to Nigeria and tell us how to run our country.”
He alleged that the European Union officially wrote to the Nigerian government to protest against El-Rufai’s threat and issued a public statement censuring Nigeria.
Another reason El-Rufai missed out on the ministerial appointment was that he was allegedly a major contributor to the genocide of Southern Kaduna Christians.
Omokri said El-Rufai admitted on multiple occasions to paying killer herdsmen while he was Kaduna state governor.
According to Omokri, El-Rufai’s government was also indicted in the Zaria Shiite Massacre of Saturday, December 12, 2015, where 438 Shiite men, women, children, and infants were killed.
“Additionally, Mr. el-Rufai was specifically cited for demolishing the homes of his political opponents in Kaduna.”
He added that:
“Finally, his reckless utterances against Christians, whereby on Saturday, January 27, 2013, he insulted Jesus Christ, and on Friday, January 18, 2019, when he said, ‘Even if I bring the Pope, Christians will never vote for me’.
“For these and other reasons, Malam Nasir el-Rufai failed his security clearance and could not be cleared by the Senate of the National Assembly. He has himself to blame for this, not the President or the NSA.”
El-Rufai accuses Tinubu Of appointing his ‘boys’
The former Kaduna governor said there is still time for President Tinubu to correct it, but there is palpable anger in the north.
