Revealed: El-Rufai’s Power Play and Gang-Up That Forced Him Out of His Ministerial Appointment

According to reports, former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai withdrew his ministerial nomination on Friday, citing security issues and a power struggle inside President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

El-Rufai was reportedly one of the 48 candidates Tinubu named as ministers in July. He received a nomination for the position of minister of electricity and energy.

But on Monday, the Senate decided not to confirm him, claiming security reasons. The SSS had expressed some security concerns about El-Rufai, according to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, but he was unable to divulge any specifics.

Many people were surprised by El-Rufai’s resignation. He is a well-known politician with a history of success. From 2003 until 2007, he served as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister.

El-Rufai reportedly expressed disappointment over the Senate’s choice to not grant him security clearance, according to sources close to him. They claim that he believed the worries voiced by the SSS were baseless.

They further claim that El-Rufai disapproved of the president’s handling of the circumstance. They claim that Tinubu did not do enough to help El-Rufai and gave the impression that he didn’t care.

El-Rufai’s resignation, according to reports, was partly a result of a power struggle within the administration. El-Rufai’s appointment was reportedly opposed by some influential members of the administration, who invoked security concerns as a justification to prevent him.

According to a source quoted by Daily Trust, “some very powerful Nigerians” don’t seem to be happy with the reforms El-Rufai was implementing in the power and energy industry.

“Since every change encounters some level of opposition, what El-Rufai accomplished as minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was only made feasible by his perseverance and the backing of his principal, former President Olusegun Obasanjo. People continued to try to obstruct the reforms, but because there was political resolve, it was accomplished, he added.

According to a source close to the former governor, El-Rufai made the decision to rescind his appointment as a minister before even seeing the president.

A source referred to President Bola Tinubu’s body language when they remarked, “What happened on Monday couldn’t have happened except there was some nod and wink from the place where the nomination came from.”

“He never pleaded for it. In fact, he was pleaded with to come work for them, and when he eventually accepted, they made him endure what occurred on Monday.

“Some very important individuals don’t like him, and the president is now involved. Why does the State Security Service (SSS) exonerate individuals facing corruption charges—some on a national and even an international level—but not El-Rufai? It is political, and it is regrettable that the president would allow himself to participate in it, according to a different source.

El-Rufa’i was trapped in the maze of complex power plays and manipulations by his political rivals and those fearful of his expanding reputation, according to Abubakar Kari, an associate professor of political sociology at the University of Abuja, who commented on the situation.

He remarked, “He is without a doubt one of the most intelligent and capable ministerial nominees, with a rich background and track record of successes as a technocrat and public servant. During his answer to inquiries at the senate screening, he more than proved this, stated Prof. Kari.

He said that “the most surprising of all, is Tinubu’s response to the whole thing,” describing what happened as “a grand gang-up against the former Kaduna State governor by powerful forces, including some within the presidency and the security services.”

“The president did not even raise a finger to assist El-Rufai. Given who El- Rufa’i is and the part he played in Tinubu’s rise, this has huge political ramifications. Despite the horrendous reputation Akpabio and Ganduje have had to deal with, Tinubu didn’t display this mysterious slowness and apathy toward them, he claimed.