El-Rufai withdraws interest in ministerial appointment

The immediate ex-Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has withdrawn his interest in being part of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.

Presidency sources said El-Rufai told President Tinubu at a meeting on Tuesday that he was no longer interested in becoming a minister but would continue to contribute his quota to the development of Nigeria as a private citizen.

He also told the president that he needed time to focus on his doctorate programme at a university in The Netherlands,” one of our sources said.

Another insider also told premium times said that the former governor suggested a new ministerial nominee — Jafaru Ibrahim Sani — for Kaduna State, saying the President would find him very useful.

Recall that had on Tuesday El-Rufai visited the President at the presidential villa a day after the Senate confirmed 45 out of 48 ministerial nominees.

The red chamber however, withheld his confirmation and those of two others, citing security reports from the State Security Service for the action.

Source PREMIUM TIMES