El-Rufai: President Tinubu, Not NASS, Stalled Appointment

Ministerial Appointment Delayed by President Tinubu, Says El-Rufai

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has clarified that President Bola Tinubu, not the National Assembly, was responsible for his exclusion from the ministerial cabinet. In an interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time, El-Rufai dismissed claims that the Senate rejected his nomination over security concerns, stating, “The National Assembly had nothing to do with it; the president didn’t want me in his cabinet.”

El-Rufai, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), also criticized the party’s current leadership, noting that its organs have been inactive since President Tinubu assumed office. He expressed concerns about the party’s direction, stating, “I have concern about how the party is being run… none of the party organs is functioning.”

Regarding his ministerial nomination, El-Rufai revealed that after extensive negotiations, President Tinubu personally requested his support and assured him of a ministerial position, which came with certain conditions. However, the president later withdrew the offer. El-Rufai emphasized that the National Assembly was not involved in this decision.

In August 2023, following the Senate’s withholding of his confirmation, El-Rufai withdrew his interest in the ministerial appointment, citing a desire to focus on his doctorate program in the Netherlands. He recommended Jafaru Ibrahim Sani, a former commissioner in Kaduna State, as his replacement.

By December 2023, El-Rufai co-founded a venture capital firm in Abuja with a $100 million investment commitment to promote the economy of northern Nigeria. In March 2024, he met with the chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and other party leaders, leading to media speculation about a potential defection from the APC to the SDP ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In January 2025, El-Rufai reiterated that he never sought a position in President Tinubu’s cabinet, expressing frustration over the portrayal of his ministerial nomination. He stated, “I was clear to Asiwaju that I was not interested in any position in his future government.”