Chairman of the disbanded Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) says former Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai has every reason to feel embittered over his non-clearance as a ministerial nominee by the Senate in 2023.
He however said only President Bola Tinubu can explain why El-Rufai was dropped from the list.
Speaking last week during an interview on Arise TV, El-Rufai had said President Bola Tinubu who pleaded with him to come and work with him to sanitise the electricity sector, simply “changed his mind on the nomination” but used the non-clearance by the senate as a cover.
El- Rufai also dismissed reports that he was rejected based on security reports against him.
“I think along the line, either the President changed his mind or something else. Please don’t believe the story that the National Assembly rejected me. The National Assembly had nothing to do with this. The President didn’t want me in his cabinet. He changed his mind. Whatever it is, I don’t care, and I’ve moved on”.
“What was the security issue? I have been the governor for 8 years in one of the most difficult states in the country. Where is the report? What about other ministers who are far less qualified and have huge controversies around them that scale through because the president makes a call.”
Speaking in a chat with TheScrutinyNG, Sagay said only President Tinubu can explain why he didn’t do everything possible to ensure El-Rufai scales the screening and confirmation processes.
“That is the reaction of a bitter man. What happened to him was sad given the role he played in rallying the north for Tinubu. But what I have come to learn is that these politicians who engage in high-stake politics, a lot of things happen behind the scene that a lot of us don’t know”.
“After nominating him as minister, why did Tinubu not see him through the process of approval at the senate?. It is a very strange thing. Why nominate him in the first place?”.
“That is why I encourage people to write their autobiography. Maybe when Tinubu will write his autobiography in the future, Nigerians will then know why he nominated El-Rufai and then let him drop on the floor”.
“But El-Rufai’s bitterness is understandable. I will feel that way if I were in his shoes” Sagay said.
