Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has stated that he was never interested in holding a cabinet position in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
El-Rufai made this declaration on Thursday, January 30, 2025, via his official X page while responding to Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication.
Bwala had earlier criticized El-Rufai’s stance on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), questioning whether the former governor would have made similar remarks had he been part of the government. He said, “My senior brother, if you were in the government and cabinet, would you have held and expressed the same position? History is replete with examples. It is a government you participated in forming that you now want to unseat. Haba Mallam, a ji soron Allah mana.”
In response, El-Rufai dismissed any suggestion that he sought a role in Tinubu’s administration.
“Good morning, @BwalaDaniel. I was a cabinet minister 22 years ago and was clear to Asiwaju that I was not interested in any position in his future government,” El-Rufai wrote.
He criticized what he called the “pathetic manner” in which some of Tinubu’s supporters attempt to make an issue out of his decision not to join the government, adding that it reflected their “moral flexibility.”
El-Rufai further asserted that even if he had accepted a role in the administration, he would still voice his concerns about the state of the APC and Tinubu’s government, stating that he would first raise issues privately before going public if no corrective actions were taken.
He also took a swipe at what he described as “political mercenaries” who defend every decision made by the Tinubu administration, regardless of how indefensible it may be.
“Enjoy your special adviser position, my brother, but remember that allegiance to God and country comes first in human accountability before any person or authority,” El-Rufai concluded.
