Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has clarified that his exclusion from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet was not due to rejection by the National Assembly.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday, El-Rufai revealed that Tinubu personally withdrew his ministerial nomination.
In August 2023, the Senate withheld El-Rufai’s confirmation, citing security reports from the State Security Service. However, during the interview, he stated that Tinubu simply “changed his mind” about the appointment.
“After serving as governor for eight years, I had my plans. The President publicly appealed to me to put them on hold and later nominated me as a minister under certain conditions. At some point, either he changed his mind or something else happened,” El-Rufai explained.
He dismissed reports that the National Assembly rejected him, stating, “The President didn’t want me in his cabinet. He changed his mind. Whatever the reason, frankly, I don’t care.”
