National
NSA Behind Campaign Against Me – El-Rufai
… 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.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially dissolved the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which includes the removal of Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Mele Kyari and Chairman Pius Akinyelure, along with all other board members appointed in November 2023.
In an announcement, the President introduced an 11-member restructured board, appointing Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new GCEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as the Non-Executive Chairman. These changes are effective immediately, as stated by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy.
Emphasizing the need for “enhanced operational efficiency, restored investor confidence, and a more commercially viable NNPC,” President Tinubu exercised his authority under Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to implement this significant reorganization.
The newly formed board comprises Adedapo Segun, who continues as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), alongside six non-executive directors representing Nigeria’s geopolitical zones: Bello Rabiu (North West), Yusuf Usman (North East), Babs Omotowa (North Central), Austin Avuru (South-South), David Ige (South West), and Henry Obih (South East). Additionally, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, and Aminu Said Ahmed, representing the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, will serve on the board.
The President has charged the new board with conducting a strategic review of NNPC-operated and Joint Venture assets to optimize value. This includes increasing crude oil production to 2 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2027 and 3 million bpd by 2030, boosting gas production to 8 billion cubic feet daily by 2027 and 10 billion by 2030, and expanding NNPC’s refining capacity to 200,000 bpd by 2027 and 500,000 bpd by 2030. The administration also aims to attract $30 billion in oil investments by 2027 and $60 billion by 2030, building on the $17 billion secured in 2024.
Ahmadu Musa Kida, the new Chairman, is a Borno-born engineer and former Deputy Managing Director of Total Nigeria. He also has a background in basketball, having served as the ex-president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF). Bashir Bayo Ojulari, the newly appointed GCEO, hails from Kwara State and was previously the Executive Vice President of Renaissance Africa Energy, where he led a $2.4 billion acquisition of Shell’s Nigerian assets. He brings extensive experience from Elf and Shell, having worked across Europe and the Middle East.
President Tinubu expressed gratitude to the outgoing board for their contributions, particularly their efforts in reviving the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, which have resumed production after years of dormancy. Analysts view this leadership change as part of Tinubu’s broader reforms in the oil sector, following last year’s removal of fuel subsidies and the promotion of private refinery investments. With the new team established, there are high expectations for enhanced transparency, efficiency, and profitability within Nigeria’s state oil enterprise.
Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum resources, says the federal government plans to commence implementing the drill-or-drop provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Section 94 of the PIA gives operators a period of three years to begin oil production or relinquish the assets to the federal government.
Speaking during the Cross Industry Group (CIG) meeting held on Tuesday in Florence, Italy, Lokpobiri said it is in the best interest of the country that all inactive wells go to work.
He said the federal government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, has provided every necessary incentive to ensure international oil companies (IOCs) in Nigeria run smoothly and profitably.
“Now, it is imperative for these industry players to match the government’s efforts with increased investment by announcing final investment decisions (FIDs),” he said.
Furthermore, Lokpobiri discussed “the challenges, expectations, and measures to enhance the sector’s contributions towards domestic energy needs and regional expansion across Sub-Saharan Africa”.
He emphasised that while IOCs have highlighted engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors as a challenge, “EPCs will not come unless they see strong commitments from industry players”.
“The government has done its part to provide the requisite and investment-friendly fiscals, the ball is now in the court of the IOCs and other operators to make strategic investment decisions that will drive increased production and sustainability in the sector,” he said.
“We must also recognise that domestic crude supply is essential to national energy security. The best solution to this challenge lies in increasing production, which will ensure a balance between domestic supply obligations and external commitments.”
The minister further urged industry players to explore collaborative measures, such as shared resources for contiguous assets and the release of underutilised assets to operators ready to invest in production.
The minority caucus in the house of representatives has condemned the killing of 16 Kano-bound hunters in Edo state.
On Thursday, a mob in the Uromi area of Edo killed 16 hunters of northern descent who were travelling from Elele, Rivers state.
The travellers were attacked and lynched after some vigilance group members raised the alarm on suspicion that they were kidnappers.
The Edo state government said 14 suspects arrested in connection with the killing would be transferred to Abuja for further interrogation.
During a visit to some of the families of the victims at Bankure LGA in Kano, Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, assured that justice would be served.
In a statement issued on Monday, the minority caucus described the killing of the hunters as “barbaric”.
“We find such brutal killings of innocent Nigerians in any part of the country by lawless mobs very reprehensible, and if allowed to fester without being put in check by responsible organs of the federal government, such actions could threaten the peace and unity of the country,” the statement reads.
The lawmakers asked Nigerians never to resort to jungle attacks on fellow citizens but to always report any concerns to security agencies.
“We are a nation under the rule of laws, and our law enforcement agencies are always available to partner with every Nigerian to assuage their concerns,” the caucus said.
While noting that the incident is “already setting emotions on edge” in parts of the country, the legislators urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the security agencies investigate this matter and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Also, adequate compensation should be paid to the affected families,” the caucus said.
The lawmakers implored Nigerians to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding and allow the federal and state governments to investigate the matter and ensure justice is served.
The statement was signed by Kingsley Chinda, minority leader; Ali Isa, minority whip; and Aliyu Madaki, deputy minority leader.