Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule stated that the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) is unable to intervene in the ministerial nomination issues surrounding former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai. Sule, a member of the PGF, which represents governors from the All Progressives Congress (APC), confirmed that El-Rufai remains a member of the party despite being rejected as a ministerial nominee by the National Assembly in August 2023.
“El-Rufai is still with us in the party,” Sule said during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, as monitored by Tunexreportes.
Sule emphasized that the reasons for El-Rufai’s nomination and subsequent rejection by the Senate or security agencies were not topics of discussion within the PGF or the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, explaining that they cannot address matters that do not directly concern them. He noted that it is ultimately the president’s decision to nominate ministers, and the National Assembly has the authority to confirm or reject those nominations.
El-Rufai had been a significant figure among northern leaders advocating for the 2023 APC presidential ticket to be awarded to a southern candidate, aligning with the informal power rotation agreement in Nigeria following President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure. As governor from May 2015 to May 2023, El-Rufai publicly supported Bola Tinubu, the former Lagos governor, as the APC’s candidate, helping him secure the presidency in February 2023.
After Tinubu’s inauguration, El-Rufai was nominated as a minister but was subsequently rejected by the Senate during the screening process, with the Department of State Services citing security concerns as the reason. Since this rejection in August 2023, he has not been seen among APC officials or at the presidential office, despite previously being a vigorous campaigner for Tinubu.
Recently, El-Rufai has been seen in the company of leaders from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), raising speculation about a possible defection, which he has denied. Additionally, he faces tensions with his successor, Sani Uba, as the Kaduna state assembly investigates his administration for alleged corruption, allegations that El-Rufai has refuted.
