El-Rufai: Tinubu didn’t want me in his cabinet, NASS’ rejection not true

The former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, says the National Assembly did not reject him as a ministerial nominee.

El-Rufai said President Bola Tinubu did not want him in his cabinet.

The former governor disclosed this in an interview with Arise TV on Monday, February 24, 2025.

He said: “President Tinubu publicly appealed to me to put my plans on hold, and through two months of negotiation, we finally agreed that he will nominate me as minister.

“There were certain conditions I attached to that. 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 president did not want me in his cabinet. He changed his mind.”

El-Rufai further stated that he may not support Tinubu in the 2027 election because of certain factors.

El-Rufai: I told Tinubu I was not interested in any position in his govt

He added that in 2027, he would consult widely before making the decision of who to support.

El-Rufai, who served as Kaduna State Governor for eight years, has recently been criticising Tinubu’s administration.

The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had supported Tinubu in the 2023 general election.

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

This was interpreted by political analysts as a move to whittle down his influence in the presidency.

Of late, there have been unconfirmed reports that El-Rufai is seeking another political tent ahead of the 2027 election.

The Star