El-Rufai: Some persons paid to be appointed Tinubu’s ministers

The immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, says some persons paid money to be appointed as ministers by President Bola Tinubu.

El-Rufai, who served as Kaduna State Governor for eight years, made the allegation in an interview with BBC Hausa aired on Thursday, March 13, 2025.

The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) disclosed that Tinubu begged him to serve as a minister in his administration, as part of efforts to resolve the electricity challenge in Nigeria.

Asked if he left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) because of the ministerial snub, El-Rufai said he did not contest for the position but was begged by Tinubu to be nominated as a minister.

He said: “Yes, that’s what they say, but did I contest for minister? I know some that paid money before they put their names as ministers.

“Mr President begged me; even the whole world knows he begged me in Kaduna and he asked me to come and work with him.

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“I didn’t accept it until we met and talked with him. He told me that he wants me to tackle the issue of electricity.

“He said all past presidents have failed, and he wants to be the president that would make that electricity issue come to an end. Because of this challenge, I thought he was real.”

El-Rufai, who dumped the APC for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Monday, has since been criticising Tinubu’s administration.

The former governor had supported Tinubu in the 2023 general election.

He was thereafter nominated as a minister but the Senate withheld his confirmation, citing security concerns.

The Star