Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has stated that President Bola Tinubu, not the National Assembly, was responsible for his exclusion from the ministerial list. Speaking during an interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time on Monday, he dismissed claims that his nomination was rejected due to security concerns.
“The National Assembly had nothing to do with it; the president didn’t want me in his cabinet,” El-Rufai said.
A founding member of the All Progressives Congress, he also criticized the party’s leadership, expressing concern over its current state. He noted that since Tinubu assumed office, the APC’s internal organs have been inactive.
“I’m a founding member of the APC, but I have concerns about how the party is being run. Many of us sacrificed to ensure it remained an internally democratic party with progressive ideals. Two years after Tinubu’s election, none of the party’s organs are functioning, and those ideals are not being pursued with any vigor,” he said.
El-Rufai revealed that after lengthy negotiations, Tinubu personally sought his support and assured him of a ministerial nomination, which was tied to certain conditions. However, the president later withdrew the offer.
“Since I left office, the president publicly asked for my support, and I agreed, stating that I didn’t want anything in return. I am a self-made man; I don’t need anything. After two months of negotiations, we reached an agreement that he would nominate me as minister under certain conditions. Somewhere along the line, he changed his mind. Please don’t believe the story that the National Assembly rejected me—they had nothing to do with it,” he added.
Addressing the reported security concerns cited for his rejection, El-Rufai challenged the claim, insisting that no report was issued against him.
“What was the security issue the National Assembly had against me? Where is the report? There were far less qualified and less experienced people who scaled through because the president made a call. He is a human being and is entitled to change his mind,” he said.
