Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has stated that the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) will not intervene in the ministerial nomination issues surrounding former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
Sule clarified that despite the National Assembly rejecting El-Rufai’s nomination as a minister in August 2023, he remains a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“El-Rufai has not left our party; he is still part of our party,” Sule said during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, January 8. “What led to his nomination, what led to his rejection by the Senate or by the security agencies, to be honest with you, are not issues we discussed either at the Progressives Governors’ Forum or even the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. They are not issues because what doesn’t concern us, we can do nothing about it. It is the prerogative of Mr President to nominate whoever should be his minister and he nominated. Also, there are agencies including the National Assembly that either confirm or reject and they rejected (him).”
El-Rufai, a prominent figure in the northern bloc of the APC, played a critical role in ensuring that the party’s presidential ticket for the 2023 election went to a southern candidate. This move aligned with Nigeria’s informal power rotation arrangement between the northern and southern regions, following the completion of President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure from the North-West.
The former governor, who served from May 2015 to May 2023, was a vocal supporter of former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu for the APC presidential ticket. Alongside other northern governors, El-Rufai backed Tinubu over northern candidates such as former Senate President Ahmad Lawan and ex-Jigawa Governor Mohammed Badaru. Tinubu won the APC ticket and the 2023 presidential election.
In recognition of his political support, Tinubu nominated El-Rufai for a ministerial position three months after taking office. However, El-Rufai’s nomination was rejected by the Senate, citing security concerns raised by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Since his rejection, El-Rufai has been notably absent from APC events and has not been seen at the Presidential Villa or in proximity to President Tinubu, despite having campaigned for him during the election. He has instead been seen with leaders of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), sparking speculation about a potential defection, which El-Rufai has denied.
Furthermore, tensions have risen between El-Rufai and his successor, Kaduna Governor Sani Uba, with the state assembly launching an investigation into El-Rufai’s eight-year tenure amid allegations of corruption.
