El-Rufai Rejects Tinubu’s Ministerial Appointment, Nominates Replacement

Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, has rejected his ministerial appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The former governor opted to step back from his intention to join President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet as a minister, Business Day is reporting.

During his confirmation hearing, El-Rufai had initially expressed his willingness to collaborate with Mr. Tinubu on matters of power.

However, in a recent meeting with President Tinubu, El-Rufai conveyed his decision to forgo the role of a minister. He emphasized his commitment to contribute to Nigeria’s development as a private citizen, as reported by Premium Times.

As part of his explanation, El-Rufai mentioned his ongoing pursuit of a doctorate program at a university in The Netherlands. In light of this, he put forward a new nominee for the ministerial position — Jafaru Ibrahim Sani — hailing from Kaduna State. El-Rufai assured the President that Sani’s expertise and resourcefulness could be of great value.

Jafaru Ibrahim Sani, who had previously served as a commissioner in three key ministries (Local Government, Education, and Environment) during El-Rufai’s tenure as governor, has been put forth by El-Rufai as a worthy candidate for the role.