Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has broken his silence regarding his exclusion from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, stating that it was the President himself, not the National Assembly, who blocked his ministerial appointment.
In an interview with Arise TV on Monday night, El-Rufai refuted claims that the Senate’s rejection of his nomination was due to security concerns.
He said that the National Assembly had no role in his exclusion, insisting, “The National Assembly has nothing to do with me; the president didn’t want me in his cabinet.”
NewsDirect reports that El-Rufai’s name was included in the list of 48 ministerial nominees submitted to the Senate by President Tinubu in 2023.
However, his nomination, along with those of two other individuals, was rejected by the Senate, which cited the need for further security vetting.
This led to widespread speculation that security issues had played a role in the rejection.
However, the former governor, who had been a key ally of Tinubu during the 2023 elections, dismissed these claims, stating that there were no security reports against him.
“What was the security issue? I have been the governor of one of the most challenging states. I was a minister 20 years ago,” El-Rufai remarked, emphasising his extensive experience in governance.
El-Rufai further revealed that after his rejection, he told President Tinubu he was no longer interested in being a minister, stating that the president had initially asked for his support to help revamp Nigeria’s electricity sector.
“The president is a human being. He changed his mind and I moved on,” El-Rufai said, suggesting that the president had ultimately decided against including him in the cabinet.
Reflecting on his relationship with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), El-Rufai criticised the party’s leadership under Tinubu, accusing it of failing to live up to its democratic and progressive ideals.
“I am a founding member of the APC, but I have concerns about how the party is being run,” he said, expressing disappointment that party organs have remained inactive since Tinubu assumed office.
He also accused Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, of orchestrating a plot to damage his reputation because of his 2031 Presidential ambition.
According to him, “Ribadu is behind the project to destroy El-Rufai and my reputation. But so far, it has been frustrating for them. They have not found anything to use against me.”
The former governor also claimed that Ribadu’s camp is trying to pressure lower-level officers who worked with him into making false accusations against him in exchange for resolving their own legal issues.
El-Rufai further criticised the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), calling it a “charade,” and praised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for being more professional.
“I swear to you and to God, I have not taken a penny that I was not supposed to. In fact, as governor, my deputy and I donated 50% of our entitlements, and I have records to prove it.
“Somebody wants to destroy my reputation. Why? Nuhu Ribadu wants to be president in 2031. He has to eliminate every northerner that he thinks is on the radar,” he stated.
…I’ll never join PDP — El-Rufai
The Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has equally dismissed speculations about his possible defection to the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), insisting that his recent engagements with politicians from other parties have been misinterpreted.
Speaking on the issue, El-Rufai explained that his visits to political figures outside the All Progressives Congress (APC), including a trip to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) headquarters, were wrongly perceived as indications of a shift in allegiance.
He clarified, “It should be clear that the fact that I’m in the APC doesn’t mean I cannot visit a friend of mine who is in the PDP or SDP.” He stressed that his interactions across party lines were not politically motivated.
El-Rufai also refuted claims circulating in Kaduna State, where some individuals falsely alleged that he had joined the PDP. He described the reports as entirely untrue, asserting that if he ever left the APC, it would certainly not be for the PDP.
“I don’t know where I will end up if the APC doesn’t come back to where we started. But one thing I can tell you for sure is that PDP is not a party that I will go to, ever,” he declared.
While firmly rejecting the PDP, El-Rufai hinted at the possibility of aligning with other political parties if the APC fails to resolve its internal issues.
“Other parties, possibly, if the APC doesn’t sort itself out,” he stated, leaving open the prospect of future political realignments.
