In the build-up to the 2023 general elections, Mallam Nasir El-rufai, the then Governor of Kaduna State, was among the first set of prominent political leaders in the North to openly identify with the presidential aspiration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. His commitment to the Tinubu project was 100 per cent. Like a rock of Gibraltar, El-Rufai took on head long, whoever spoke against the aspiration of the ‘Lagos boy’.
As early as 2021, El-Rufai ruffled feathers up North when he stated that power must shift to the South. Hear him: ‘‘The general political consensus in Nigeria is that the presidency should rotate between the North and the South. It is not written, but everyone understands it. In some of the parties like the PDP, it is even written down in their constitution but it was breached in 2015. I think every politician of honour should understand and abide by that consensus except there is an extenuating circumstance compelling it to be set aside.’’
True to his words, he diligently queued behind Tinubu, even when Atiku Abubakar, a fellow Northerner and former Vice President became the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). It is a well-known secret that Atiku Abubakar was among those that dragged El-rufai into partisan politics when the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo, appointed him as the Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE).
Since then, Nasir El-Rufai has been known for his boldness, intellect and assertiveness. Though small in stature, he made up for that as a deep thinker and a man that could take very tough decision. His tenure as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was fearless, as many houses that belonged to elites but breached the original Abuja master plan were demolished in his bid to restore the glory of the Federal Capital and ensure that all developmental projects conformed with the original master plan of the FCT.
He ‘went after’ former President Muhammadu Buhari immediately Tinubu emerged as the presidential candidate of the APC, when some tendencies within the party and in the presidential villa felt that charity should begin at home – with the consensus being that it would be better to support a northern candidate – Atiku Abubakar against a Yoruba man – Tinubu. “I believe there are elements in the villa that want us to lose the election because they didn’t get their way. They had their candidates but their candidate didn’t win the primary election. I think they are still trying to get us to lose the election and they are hiding behind the president’s desire to do what he thinks is right.’’ El-Rufai stated.
He went ahead to state that the Naira redesign policy introduced by the federal government was aimed at stopping Tinubu from emerging as the president. ‘’On the currency redesign, you have to understand the President. People are blaming the Governor of the Central Bank for the currency redesign, but, no. You have to go back and look at the first outing of Buhari as President. He did this; the Buhari, Idiagbon regime changed our currency and did it in secrecy with a view to catching those that are stashing away illicit funds. It is a very good intention. The President has his right. But doing it at this time within the allotted time does not make any political or economic sense.” He walked his talked when he challenged the currency redesign in court.
El-Rufai’s bombshell came a week after Tinubu asserted that there were plans to stop him from winning the election and that the fuel scarcity that was at its peak then and naira redesign were targeted at frustrating his ambition.
When Tinubu eventually won the presidential election, El-Rufai became one of his kitchen cabinet members, and was with the President-elect where ever he went. They were together at the Chatham House, London, where Tinubu briefed members of the international community of his plans and programme for Nigeria, but when it was question and answer session, Tinubu chose to parry all the questions and directed his associates to answer them. El-Rufai was among the chosen few that provided answers to those questions.
Again, when it was time for Tinubu to form his cabinet, El-rufai was really not keen on being selected as a Minister, having been in government since 1999, and felt that there was a need for him to take a break to rest and complete his PhD thesis. But Tinubu insisted that he must be part of his team and gave him a blank cheque to choose any Ministry that he would like to Head. He picked Power, but added that the Ministry should be renamed Ministry of Power and Gas, as he believes that gas has a big role to play in powering millions of homes in the country. He also asked that a National Energy Council be established to discuss and take positions on issues affecting electricity generation and distribution in Nigeria. The proposed Energy Council, he said, should comprise Ministers in charge of Finance, Environment, Energy, Justice and the Office of the National Security Adviser.
He assured the President-elect that uninterrupted or partial interruption of power is possible within five to seven years. As expected, his name was amongst those sent to the Senate by the President after his swearing-in ceremony for confirmation as Minister.
But things began to unravel during his screening by the Senate. Senators from Kaduna State were not happy with his tenure as Governor, and they pointed to the existence of a petition with the DSS which they said was not favourable to El-Rufai.
Indeed, in the covering letter from the DSS signed by one Aminu Yusuf on behalf of the Director-General, Department of State Services, dated August 4, 2023, with reference number SV.8/1430 titled: ‘Re: Security Vetting’ and addressed to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), the secret police wrote: “Further to this Service letter S.V.8/1426 dated 1st of August, 2023, giving provisional security clearance to three (3) ministerial nominees, including Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, pending conclusion of vetting. (Appendix ‘A’ instructive). This Service wishes to state that further vetting and background checks conducted revealed some underlined issues which have negatively affected the nominee and as such, it is recommended that El-Rufai’s clearance by the Senate of the National Assembly be stepped down until the issues are cleared as investigation continues.’’
Based on the advice of the DSS, the Senate declined to confirm El-Rufai as a Minister of the Federal Republic.
Apart from the DSS issue, some other influential members of the Tinubu kitchen cabinet were of the opinion that El-Rufai should not be allowed to wield enormous power in the government, alleging that it would be difficult to completely trust him. So, his enemies won when the second security report on him was sent to the offices of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), President of the Senate, and the National Security Adviser detailing the numerous reasons why El-Rufai should not be cleared for a ministerial position.
Embarrassed at the turn of events, El-Rufai sought audience with Tinubu and told him that he was no longer interested in becoming a Minister. He left the country few hours later.
Now, he is back in the country, and threatening to burn down the APC House. According to him, the APC has become a party where anything goes. He said that he could no longer recognise the party as there has not been a single meeting of any of the organs of the party in the last two years. Just last week, he was with Atiku Abubakar alongside other disenchanted members of the APC at a conference put together with the theme ‘’Saving the Nation’s Democracy.’’
Like a bull in a China shop, El-Rufai is already in a romance with the opposition, and there are rumours that he and other like minds may float a new political party ahead of the 2027 elections.
In the same league with him are former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi and his counterpart in Rivers, Rotimi Amaechi. The two-characters served as Governors for eight years in their states and were also former Ministers under the APC. They have been out of government for only two years and are already singing a different political tune. Now, Fayemi is delivering lectures on how to make Nigeria work. But Nigeria was working when he was Governor of Ekiti State, and it was fine when he was a Minister under President Buhari.
He is now preaching and spreading the gospel of ‘alternative politics’, a system of governance that takes into consideration, proportional representation. He took at jab at Tinubu, who secured the presidency with 37 per cent of the vote but went home with 100 per cent of the rewards. ‘’We must ensure that the perspectives of the remaining 63 per cent are adequately represented, and everyone must be actively involved. By inclusively involving all segments of society, we can enhance Nigeria’s functionality.’’ Big grammar, but short on semantics. Is he saying there are no members of the opposition political parties in government? The last time I checked, Nyesom Wike and several PDP Governors, Senators and House of Representative members are part of this same Tinubu’s government. There are states controlled by opposition political parties, and they are delivering democratic dividends to their people. There is absolutely nothing that is new in Fayemi’s proposal. Since the return to democratic dispensation in 1999, politicians have always found a way of accommodating their colleagues in opposing political parties. He is out of government and that is why he is seeking relevance now. It is a common trend with many of them.
In the same vein, Amaechi is now telling Nigerians to fight and be ready to die in their bid to hijack power from the crop of present politicians. According to the former two-time Governor of Rivers State, the youths must be all within their power, as Tinubu and others would not willingly cede power to the younger generation. “The politician is there in Nigeria to steal, maim, and kill to remain in power. If you think Tinubu will give it to you, you are wasting your time.” This is the same Amaechi that has been in government since 1992, as special assistant to the then Rivers State Deputy Governor. In essence, he too, has been stealing us blind since 1999 when he was elected as the Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly. Believe politicians at your own peril.
As for El-Rufai, he stuck out his neck for Tinubu when the battle was at the zenith. He has the telephone number of the President and there are several channels through which he could reach him. If he has any advice to offer or he is not comfortable with the way things are presently done in the APC, he should use those channels rather than threatening to bring down the roof. But if he believes that he is a better alternative to Tinubu come 2027, I wish him luck.
See you next week.
