The Nigerian presidency has criticized former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over his public complaints about being left out of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet. Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga said El-Rufai should “stop crying like a baby whose bread was stolen” and move on.
Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, made the remark on Tuesday during an interview on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily.
“As a person, I think I will pity the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai. He feels hurt that he was not made a minister… I think it is time for him to move on,” Onanuga said.
“You cannot continue to behave like a child as if somebody stole your bread and you are crying over spilt milk. It is natural for you to feel hurt. It is natural for you to feel bad for being excluded. As the President acknowledged in the birthday wish to him, Nasir actually helped a lot in installing President Tinubu. If he is not there, it does not mean that he must bring down the roof.”
El-Rufai Blames Tinubu for Ministerial Rejection
The remarks from the presidency came after El-Rufai’s interview on Arise News on Monday night, where he accused President Tinubu—not the National Assembly—of being responsible for his exclusion from the cabinet.
“Please don’t believe the story that the National Assembly rejected me. The National Assembly has nothing to do with it. The President did not want me in his cabinet,” El-Rufai said.
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He claimed that despite his significant role in Tinubu’s election victory, he was sidelined.
“After two months of negotiations, we finally agreed that he would nominate me as a minister, and then there were certain conditions I attached. I think, along the line, either the President changed his mind or something else.”
El-Rufai insisted that he held no personal grudge against the administration but warned that unresolved issues within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) could create deeper divisions.
Growing Rift Between El-Rufai and Tinubu
Tensions between El-Rufai and Tinubu have been growing for months. While Tinubu’s allies argue that El-Rufai was dropped due to security concerns raised by the National Assembly, his supporters believe he was politically outmaneuvered despite his role in Tinubu’s victory.
His exclusion has also fueled speculation about his next political move, with rumors suggesting that he could align with forces opposed to Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
For now, the disagreement between the former governor and the presidency remains a significant development within the APC, as political observers watch to see how the situation unfolds in the coming months.