… Says Senate security report couldn’t have stopped him from being minister
… Insists Tinubu didn’t want him
… In 2008, Senate declared El-Rufai unfit to hold public office
Immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has said that the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, is behind campaigns against him.
El-Rufai also criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that despite previous discussions, he did not want him to serve in his government.
El-Rufai was rejected by the 10th Senate when President Tinubu forwarded his name for screening and confirmation.
During the screening, the Senate had raised security concerns about El-Rufai, but he was subsequently not confirmed.
In Jul 2008, a Joint Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Housing, which investigated the FCT administration between 1999 and 2007, recommended that former FCT Minister Nasir el-Rufai be banned from holding public office “now and in the future.”
The committee said in its report by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Abubakar Danso Sodangi, that “Mallam Nasir el-Rufai is not a fit and proper person to hold public office in a democratic setup.”
El-Rufai, who had moved out of the country during Yar’Adua’s administration, had a soft landing by returning to the country during the President Goodluck Jonathan administration alongside his friend, Nuhu Ribadu.
While he could not get access to be part of the Jonathan government, El-Rufai aligned with the Buhari’s wind, a man he had previously called names.
Buhari was instrumental in El-Rufai securing an APC ticket to run for the Kaduna State Gubernatorial election.
Still, his eight-year reign was full of controversies, debts, crises, killings and a leaked revelation on how he took Nigerian currency to a foreign land to appease people he said were killing the Southern Kaduna people, but the killing didn’t stop.
Also, an ‘inciting’ video of El-Rufai speaking in Hausa on how he suppressed Christians in Kaduna on political appointment through the introduction of the Muslim ticket, promising to replicate that at the national level might be the reason behind Tinubu’s change of mind as many viewed his past in deviant with the principles of a leader that should accommodate all.
However, during the Arise News interview, El-Rufai said, “Nuhu Ribadu is behind everything to tarnish my image. At some point, Malam Ribadu and Uba Sani were my friends, but not anymore.”
Mr El-Rufai said he believed the president did not want him to be in his cabinet and only used the Senate’s refusal as a justification.
El-Rufai, a guest on the prime-time show on Arise News, said, “The President didn’t want me in his cabinet.”
El-Rufai stated this for the first time since his nomination as a minister was rejected because of security concerns.
El-Rufai criticises the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), saying the party is not following its progressive ideals and has failed to hold meetings in the last two years, insisting that “The National Assembly has nothing to do with me.”
El-Rufai said if the APC fails to return to its progressive values, he will have no option but to seek to express his political values on another platform.
“The APC has lost its founding values and has left me, not me, leaving the APC because we are standing apart. I am a founding member of the APC, so if the APC does not sooner or later fix itself, I may find another platform, but certainly not PDP. I will remain in politics for life.”
On whether or not he is still a friend to his successor, the Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, and the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, he said they were at some points but never again, alleging that Malam Ribadu is the architect of all efforts to tarnish his image.
“Nuhu Ribadu wants to become President in 2031 and destroy every northerner who opposes him; that is the point Malam El-Rufai alleged.
On his ministerial nomination, which did not work out, Malam El-Rufai said he never wanted to be a minister.
Still, he said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu begged him to join his cabinet to help fix the electricity sector. He agreed, arguing that it was not any security report but that the President May have changed his mind.
“President Tinubu engaged me for two months, negotiating with me to be part of his cabinet. I eventually agreed, but with a condition. Perhaps he changed his mind or did not want me in his government again, so there is no security report. I believe the President changed his mind.”
He said he is at peace now, sleeps well and has added weight because he has nothing to worry about like bandit attacks”.
On some of President Tinubu’s reform policies, Malam El-Rufai said he supports some economic policies, but the quality of those implementing the guidelines is the problem. He said the agricultural policies are not working well.
On his 65th birthday, he said the President’s Message angered some of his perceived enemies, who were unhappy and had to send him a birthday message because the President did.
On whether he has a presidential ambition for 2027, he said he is eminently qualified to contest if he wants, but it’s still the turn of the South following the gentleman agreement of rotation.
Asked if he would support President Tinubu’s reelection, El-Rufai said time would tell.
“However, if the situation is unfavourable, El-Rufai said, his support will remain until another Southern candidate completes the four years, stressing that “I will still prefer a Southerner to succeed Tinubu.”
On the N423 billion allegation, he said he was not giving him a fair hearing, which he is entitled to, and he was never invited to answer questions.
“In my 8 years as governor of Kaduna State, we received about 900 billion naira, so how could 423 billion naira disappear?” he queried.
“Nuhu Ribadu is behind everything to tarnish my image. Malam Ribadu and Uba Sani were my friends at some point, but not anymore,” he stressed.
