NASS Didn’t Reject Me, Tinubu Did , Appoints Only Lagos Boys ..El-Rufai

 

Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, has criticised the appointments made by President Bola Tinubu since assuming office.

Speaking on Monday during an interview on Arise TV, El-Rufai said Tinubu is only appointing his “boys” from Lagos into political offices.

He cautioned against blaming the entire South-West for the sin of the president when, in fact, the lopsided appointment is being committed by the president.

He said: “President Tinubu’s appointment are quite imbalance. Don’t blame the South-West for what one individual is doing.

“The president’s appointments are not being made because the appointees are Yoruba, but because they are his own boys, and most of the appointments do not even reasonably cover the South-West.

“So, people should stop confusing the truth. The appointments are not balanced. Yes, definitely, definitely, right? You cannot argue that, but it’s not a Yoruba thing. Please don’t punish the Yorubas as you have been punishing northerners for the sins of the military.

“Let’s focus on individuals and hold them accountable.

“President Tinubu needs to do something about that. It’s still not too late. He can correct it, but there is palpable anger in the north.”

Nasir El-Rufai, also said he was not rejected by the National Assembly as a ministerial nominee.

In August 2023, the Senate withheld the confirmation of El-Rufai as a ministerial nominee, citing security reports from the State Security Service for the action.

But speaking on Monday during an interview on Arise TV, El-Rufai said President Bola Tinubu simply “changed his mind on the nomination”

“After serving for eight years as governor of Kaduna state, I had my plans. The President publicly appealed to me put my plans on hold and through two months of negotiations, we finally agreed that he would nominate me as minister and there were certain conditions I attached to that. I think along the line, either the president changed his mind or something else.

“I think along the line, either the President changed his mind or something else. Please don’t believe the story that the National Assembly rejected me. The National Assembly had nothing to do with this, the President didn’t want me in his cabinet, he changed his mind. Whatever it is, I don’t care and I’ve moved on.

“Since I’ve moved on, I’ve not said a word, I’ve not granted an interview, I’ve not commented on the government but it is within my right as a founding member of the All Progressives Congress to ask why the party isn’t functioning,” he said.

More Excerpts 

I won’t be available for the APC Caucus meeting tomorrow, but my friends will be there. I had my plans of travelling to Cairo scheduled for tomorrow.

Anyone can be member of a party, but party leadership has to do with qualifications and reward for what you stand for the party, that’s what we did in Kaduna state.

In 2023, I was indifferent about who becomes the president, when Tinubu became the flag bearer of my party, so I was bound to support him, though there’s elements around the president that tried to do otherwise which Zulum called me and said this is what is happening, we came together as Northern governors forum, we truncated that and insisted that the APC flag bearer must be from the South, who the Southerners gives us is left to them, that’s what transpired.

In 2023, we consulted widely, including President Buhari then, and other APC executives in Kaduna, same thing will happen in 2027. I will consult widely before throwing my support.

“As a private citizen, I can afford to be reckless and say, ‘You know what? We gave the southerners their chance. They gave us Tinubu; has he done well? If he hasn’t done well by 2027, let’s vote him out.’” 

The appointments is not balanced, that’s true, but it is not a Yoruba thing, Tinubu is appointing his boys, not Yoruba people, there’s clear difference.

Uba Sani has been my friend for many many years, but not anymore, because the concept of friendship is to be there for you when you needed them the most, Uba Sani and Nuhu Ribadu used to be my friend. But I think something happened, not anymore.

If I am relevant in Kaduna State or not? Well, we will see who is more relevant when the time comes.

I read the report of Kaduna State Assembly that so so billions were syphoned, they did not state from where to where, money cannot just disappear, I told all my commissioners to calm down, we have been invited by ICPC, they found nothing yet, the EFCC has also done their investigation and nothing was discovered.

Nuhu Ribadu has plans to contest for President in 2031.

Elrufai