Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has revealed that President Bola Tinubu, not the National Assembly, decided against his nomination as a minister. He made this statement on Monday during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time.
El-Rufai, who previously served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, explained that Tinubu had initially urged him to remain close after leaving office. However, despite this request, the President later changed his mind about including him in the cabinet.
He stated, “Since I left office and the President begged me publicly to come and serve in his government, I had my plans and told President Tinubu from day one when he asked me to support him, I said I would, but I don’t want anything because politics in Nigeria is always about what do I get for giving you support.”
El-Rufai further noted that he had made his intentions clear from the beginning, explaining that he was not involved in politics for personal gain. According to him, he had already achieved financial success before entering public service and was looking forward to taking a break after eight challenging years as Kaduna’s governor.
Despite this, Tinubu persuaded him to reconsider and enter negotiations that lasted two months. The discussions eventually led to an agreement that he would be nominated as a minister under certain conditions. However, at some point, the President had a change of heart.
He clarified, “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.”
