Northern Patriots Forum Blasts El-Rufai Over Criticism of Tinubu Administration
The Northern Patriots Forum (NPF) on Wednesday strongly criticized former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai over his recent remarks against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration.
El-Rufai, during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, accused President Tinubu and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, of being responsible for his failed ministerial nomination.
El-Rufai, who was initially considered for a ministerial position in Tinubu’s cabinet, claimed that the President personally opposed his appointment, not due to any security report, as widely speculated. He further alleged that Ribadu was working against him because of the NSA’s purported presidential ambition for 2031.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Coordinator of the Northern Patriot Forum, Capt. Monday, Ishakwu condemned El-Rufai’s claims, stating that the former governor lacked the moral right to attack President Tinubu in such a manner. Ishakwu accused El-Rufai of failing woefully during his eight-year tenure as Kaduna State governor and argued that his performance disqualified him from making such accusations.
The Forum acknowledged that in less than two years, President Tinubu’s leadership has achieved more tangible successes than Governor El-Rufai’s eight-year tenure, which it described as a period of misrule.
While cautioning Mallam El-Rufai to be mindful of his utterances, the Forum noted that his controversial statements and leadership style as Kaduna State Governor significantly contributed to his political unpopularity in the North and tarnished his reputation both nationally and internationally. It further cited these factors as reasons behind his failed ministerial ambition.
“President Tinubu had intended for him to join his cabinet and even nominated him for a key ministerial position, with a lucrative portfolio reserved in his favor, had he successfully passed the Senate screening.
“However, multiple security reports from various agencies raised serious concerns, indicting him and warning that his appointment could pose a ‘diplomatic liability’ to the administration.”
“The agencies cited his controversial past statements and actions as key reasons for his exclusion. One such incident was his 2019 threat to European Union election observers, where he warned, “We are waiting for the person who will come and intervene. They will go back in body bags.”
“Had El-Rufai made the final list, even the President might have come to regret it. Shortly after his exclusion, the Kaduna State House of Assembly indicted him for allegedly mismanaging a staggering N423 billion over his eight-year tenure as governor. Appointing such a person to the cabinet would not only have raised serious concerns about the administration’s anti-corruption stance but also risked tarnishing the President’s integrity.
“Now, driven by envy and resentment, he finds it difficult to accept the remarkable reforms of the Tinubu administration. It pains him that such significant achievements have been recorded in less than two years, without him as a minister.
“Instead of taking responsibility for the consequences of his own words, he blames everyone but himself. One moment, it’s the Kaduna State Governor; the next, it’s Ribadu, Senator Shehu Sani, or even President Tinubu. His fixation knows no bounds.”
“He seems to have forgotten his disastrous tenure as Kaduna Governor, unaware that his past actions would come back to haunt him. While he once enjoyed constitutional immunity, he cannot erase the negative impressions he left on the minds of Nigerians and the international community.
“El-Rufai’s alleged involvement in the 2015 Zaria Shiite Massacre, where 438 civilians lost their lives, as well as accusations of funding violent herdsmen responsible for attacks in Southern Kaduna, were key security concerns that ultimately derailed his ministerial ambition.”
“Nigerians cannot easily forget his disparaging remarks about Jesus Christ, nor his 2019 statement claiming that even the Pope could not sway Christians to vote for him. His history of religious intolerance has become a significant barrier, with many perceiving him as a fanatic and an extremist,” the statement read.
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