El-Rufai feels hurt since he was not made a minister, says Onanuga.
Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, says former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai is upset because he was left out of Tinubu’s ministerial appointment.
Tinubu first proposed El-Rufai as a minister while the president was building his cabinet, but the Senate ultimately rejected his nomination.
With the consequences from the ministerial appointment, El-Rufai has recently turned critical of the Tinubu administration and the All Progressive Congress.
In a recent interview, El-Rufai stated that President Tinubu, not the Senate, rejected him as a minister.
However, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Onanuga stated that, while El-Rufai fought hard to ensure Tinubu’s election as president, it is time for him to move on from his displeasure at not being appointed minister.
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HIS EXCELLENCY, RT. HON. AHMADU UMARU FINTIRI
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Professor Clement Augustine, Vice Chancellor, ADSU, Mubi
“I will pity former Kaduna State governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, he feels hurt that he was not made a minister, but I think it’s time for him to move on,” replied Onanuga.
“You cannot continue to behave like a child as if someone stole his bread and things like that and then you are crying over spilt milk.”
While conceding that it is understandable for El-Rufai to feel aggrieved after working hard for Tinubu’s election, Onanuga stated that the President does not deny his efforts.
“It’s reasonable for him to feel awful about being excluded. I believe the president acknowledged in a recent tribute to him that Nasir played a significant role in the installation of President Tinubu, and his absence does not imply that he will bring down the house.”
The presidential adviser stated that Tinubu has nothing against El-Rufai, but the former Kaduna governor is campaigning everywhere against the president because he is hurt.
Onanuga encouraged El-Rufai to step down because he has been in public service since 1999, stating, “It’s time for him to move on.”