The presidency has advised former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to move on from his disappointment over not being appointed as a minister by President Bola Tinubu. El-Rufai had claimed that Tinubu himself was responsible for his exclusion, not the Senate.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, expressed sympathy for El-Rufai’s feelings but emphasized that it’s time for him to move forward. “I will pity former Kaduna State governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, he feels hurt that he was not made a minister, but I think it’s time for him to move on,” Onanuga said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
Onanuga acknowledged El-Rufai’s contributions to Tinubu’s election campaign but noted that the President has nothing against him. However, he pointed out that El-Rufai’s actions, such as campaigning against the president, are driven by hurt feelings. “You cannot continue to behave like a child as if someone stole his bread and things like that and then you are crying over spilt milk,” Onanuga said.
Onanuga also highlighted that President Tinubu has acknowledged El-Rufai’s efforts in his election campaign. “It is natural for him to feel bad that he has been excluded. I think the president has acknowledged in a recent tribute to him that Nasir did a lot in installing President Tinubu, and if he is not there it doesn’t mean he will bring down the roof,” Onanuga said.
Furthermore, Onanuga urged El-Rufai to consider his long history of public service since 1999 and move on from his disappointment. “It’s time for him to move on,” he said. Onanuga’s comments come as El-Rufai has become increasingly critical of the Tinubu administration and the All Progressives Congress (APC) since his ministerial nomination was rejected.
