El-Rufai Still Bitter Over Ministerial Snub, Needs to Move On – Onanuga
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has said former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, is aggrieved because he was not appointed a minister in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
During an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time Live on Monday, El-Rufai alleged that President Tinubu was responsible for his exclusion from the current administration, exonerating the National Assembly, which only carried out the screening process.
However, responding to El-Rufai’s remarks on Tuesday during an interview with Channels Television, Onanuga stated that the former governor’s continued criticism of the government stemmed from his exclusion from the ministerial list. He urged El-Rufai to move on.
“I think it started from there, the hurt came from there. The fact that he was not made a minister… you can hear all he’s been saying, even yesterday, in an interview on Arise TV, he made mention of it, saying that it was the President that blocked him and things like that,” Onanuga said.
Describing El-Rufai’s reaction as unnecessary, Onanuga emphasized that the former governor should not attempt to destabilize the government just because he was left out.
“As a person, I think I will pity the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. He feels hurt that he was not made a minister, but I think it’s a long time; the ministers came in in August 2023. I think it’s time for him to move on. He cannot continue to behave like a child, as if somebody stole his bread, crying over spilt milk,” he stated.
While acknowledging El-Rufai’s contributions to Tinubu’s election victory, Onanuga maintained that exclusion from the government should not lead to hostility.
“It’s natural for him to feel hurt, it’s natural for him to feel bad that he’s been excluded. And as the President acknowledged in a recent birthday tribute to him, Nasiru actually helped a lot in installing President Tinubu. But if he’s not there, it doesn’t mean that he must bring down the roof,” he added.
Onanuga dismissed speculation of a rift between the two politicians, stating that Tinubu held no personal grudge against El-Rufai.
“The President has nothing personally against Nasiru, and so if Nasiru feels naturally hurt that he has been excluded, and that’s why he’s going about everywhere campaigning against the President, it shows a man who resents being left out of the moving train and who will not let go,” he said.
He urged El-Rufai to focus on other aspects of his career, noting that he had been in government since 1999.
Read also: Another southerner will replace Tinubu in 2027 – El-Rufai declares
“My advice for him as a brother, as a former governor, is to appeal to him that he should forget it if he’s not made a minister,” he said.
Onanuga also dismissed El-Rufai’s criticisms of the administration, arguing that the government was making progress despite the challenges it inherited.
“This government inherited a lot of problems, and if you look at the figures and other things that we are witnessing, things are getting better. We are certainly not where we were in 2023,” he stated.
Highlighting economic improvements, he added:
“This administration has done a lot to re-engineer the economy, and we are seeing positive figures. We’re seeing inflation coming down, our foreign reserves growing and so many positive things happening.”
