‘My Stance on Tinubu’s Gov’t Unchanged,’ El-Rufai Replies Bwala

Nasir el-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, has firmly reiterated that his stance on the Bola Tinubu-led administration remains unchanged, even if he had been a part of the government. This statement came after Daniel Bwala, the President’s Special Adviser on Policy Communications, questioned whether el-Rufai would have been critical of the administration if he had held a cabinet position.

El-Rufai, speaking at a conference in Abuja, had previously described the state of governance and opposition in Nigeria as a “national emergency” and expressed strong criticism towards the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for its lack of internal democracy. He pointed out that no party organs had met in two years, calling the APC a “zero-man show.”

His comments sparked backlash from the APC, accusing him of undermining both the party and the government he had played a key role in building. In response, Bwala asked if el-Rufai would have expressed the same criticism if he were part of the administration.

El-Rufai swiftly replied to Bwala, dismissing any notion that he had ever sought a ministerial role in the Tinubu administration. He made it clear that he had told Tinubu 22 years ago that he had no interest in holding any position in the future government. El-Rufai went further to criticize individuals who, in his view, had recently aligned with the administration for personal gain.

He emphasized that his criticisms would have remained the same, even if he had continued in the government. El-Rufai explained that had he stayed in the government, he would have addressed the issues both privately and publicly if no corrective actions were taken, referencing his long history of public service.

Furthermore, El-Rufai accused certain pro-government voices of receiving financial compensation from security votes to defend the government’s actions online, labeling them as “political mercenaries” who unquestioningly support the government, regardless of the situation.

Concluding his response, El-Rufai advised Bwala to prioritize loyalty to “God and country” over political allegiance, reminding him that true accountability should come before loyalty to any individual or authority.

This exchange highlights the growing tension within the APC, as some members continue to voice dissatisfaction with the current state of the party and government.