The lawmaker who represents Borno South in the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume, has said that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, deserved the treatment he received from President Bola Tinubu, after being dropped from the ministerial list despite playing a major role in Tinubu’s 2023 presidential campaign.
Naijaonpoint reports that Ndume made the comment during an appearance on Arise Television on Tuesday night, adding that El-Rufai had earlier abandoned the camp of former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, who came second in the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries.
Ndume said El-Rufai had initially been a part of their political bloc supporting Amaechi, only to switch allegiance and mobilise heavily for Tinubu during the 2023 campaign.
He said, “El-Rufai was supposed to be on our side. And somehow, you know, he moved over. And I think this is part of the things that are annoying him or frustrating him.
“He was on our side — Amaechi’s side. He made up his mind to support Tinubu. And Tinubu, as he rightly said, told him not to leave and that he should come on board. So since then, I’ve not been that close to El-Rufai because he abandoned our group and went to support Tinubu fully.”
The senator noted that after the election, Tinubu nominated El-Rufai for a ministerial post, but the nomination was eventually dropped without explanation.
“He really mobilised and he did a lot. Then Tinubu asked him to join the government. But somehow, up till now, I don’t understand what happened between El-Rufai and Tinubu. But that is not my business,” Ndume added.
Ndume did not mince words in describing the fallout as a case of political karma, suggesting that El-Rufai was experiencing the same betrayal he once dealt to others.
He said, “And I sometimes say, okay, you did that to us too. It’s payback to yourself. I’m not El-Rufai’s fan or friend or anything, but the truth must be told.”
Ndume, who previously served as Chief Whip of the Senate, recalled El-Rufai’s screening in the National Assembly, where senators allowed him to “take a bow and go” due to his experience and contributions.
He, however, criticised Tinubu’s eventual decision to exclude El-Rufai from the final ministerial list despite the former governor’s pivotal role in the election campaign.
Ndume said, “That was where Mr. President got it wrong. El-Rufai came to the chamber, and we asked him to take a bow and go or even to just lay out some plans.”