Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, has refuted claims that the National Assembly rejected him as a ministerial nominee, clarifying that the real issue was President Bola Tinubu’s decision not to include him in his cabinet.
In an interview with Arise TV on Monday, el-Rufai explained that President Tinubu had personally asked him to delay his ministerial ambitions.
“The president publicly requested that I put my plans on hold, and after two months of discussions, we reached an agreement that I would be nominated as a minister,” he said.
Nasir El-Rufai further suggested that something changed along the way, either with the president’s stance or other factors.
“Don’t believe the narrative that the National Assembly rejected me. The president did not want me in his cabinet and ultimately changed his mind,” he added.
In July 2024, Tinubu submitted the list of ministerial nominees, including el-Rufai, to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
However, in August 2024, the Senate withheld the nominations of el-Rufai, Stella Okotete (Delta), and Danladi Abubakar (Taraba), citing security clearance issues. Political analysts interpreted this move as an effort to diminish el-Rufai’s influence in the administration.
