Former Governor of Katsina State, Nasir El-Rufai, is reportedly set to reject a ministerial appointment offered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The appointment comes as part of a list of nominees sent to the National Assembly for screening and confirmation, which included 47 other candidates.
However, El-Rufai, along with Stella Okotete, faced obstacles during the screening process, as allegations were leveled against them. Additionally, Umar Danladi’s confirmation was blocked due to a Supreme Court ruling preventing him from holding office for the next decade.
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Although El-Rufai and the other nominees are required to undergo security clearance before the Senate confirms their appointments, sources suggest that El-Rufai plans to decline the ministerial role regardless of the clearance outcome. According to insider information from the Peoples Gazette, El-Rufai appears frustrated by the delay in his screening and confirmation process, which has seemingly cast a shadow over his political standing.
An undisclosed source stated that El-Rufai holds the belief that the Senate will ultimately receive approval from the National Security Adviser’s office and subsequently confirm his position. The source also revealed that El-Rufai intends to wait for this confirmation before publicly expressing his decision not to join Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.
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The source emphasized that El-Rufai’s refusal to accept the appointment is motivated by a desire to demonstrate that there are no justifiable reasons for delaying his security assessment. This stance has remained unchanged, despite the efforts of close associates to facilitate a meeting between El-Rufai and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, in an attempt to resolve any outstanding concerns.
According to the source, El-Rufai is resolute in his decision to abstain from lobbying Ribadu for security clearance. El-Rufai, known for his conviction, allegedly believes that Ribadu lacks the necessary political stature to unilaterally withhold a ministerial nomination.
An additional source asserted that any actions taken by Ribadu would likely be carried out with the president’s prior knowledge. This knowledge forms the basis for El-Rufai’s decision to wait for official confirmation before withdrawing from consideration for the cabinet position. The situation has raised questions about the dynamics between the National Security Adviser’s office and the broader political landscape, with El-Rufai’s firm stance attracting attention.
As Nigerians eagerly await further developments, El-Rufai’s principled stance and decision to wait for official confirmation have sparked discussions about the intersection of political appointments, security clearance, and the role of the president in such matters.
