Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has dismissed reports claiming that the National Assembly rejected his nomination as a minister, stating that the decision was solely made by President Bola Tinubu. El-Rufai’s ministerial nomination was withheld by the Senate in August 2023, following security reports from the State Security Service (SSS). However, in a recent interview with Arise TV, El-Rufai clarified that the rejection had nothing to do with the Senate but was a decision made by the president.
El-Rufai explained that after completing his eight-year tenure as governor of Kaduna State, he had his own plans. “After serving for eight years as governor of Kaduna State, I had my plans. The president publicly appealed to me to put my plans on hold, and after some time, we finally agreed that he would nominate me as a minister, with certain conditions I attached to that,” he said, reflecting on his initial discussions with President Tinubu.
Despite the initial understanding, El-Rufai revealed that the situation changed along the way. “I think along the line, either the president changed his mind or something else,” El-Rufai said. He further dismissed rumors about the National Assembly’s role in his exclusion from the cabinet, emphasizing that the decision was made at the presidential level. “Please, don’t believe the story that the National Assembly rejected me. The president didn’t want me in his cabinet—he changed his mind,” he stated.
El-Rufai’s comments shed light on the behind-the-scenes negotiations and decision-making process regarding his ministerial nomination. The former governor expressed indifference about the situation, stating, “Whatever it is, frankly, I don’t care.”
