The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Ata, has said that former Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai’s latest political outburst stems from his disappointment over his failure to secure a ministerial position in the current administration.
This was contained in a statement signed by an aide to the Minister, Comrade Seyi Olorunsola, a copy made available to pressmen in Kano.
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He said, “The former Kaduna governor is feeling entitled to a role in President Tinubu’s government; he was unable to pass the necessary security clearance, leading to his rejection by the Senate. Since then, he has carried himself like a man scorned, unleashing a barrage of unfounded criticisms and engaging in political brinkmanship.
“His recent defection from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) is nothing more than an act of desperation—an attempt to remain relevant in Nigeria’s political discourse.
“However, this move was long anticipated, given his history of political opportunism and self-serving maneuvers.
“El-Rufai had recently claimed, as reported in the media, that the President was responsible for the division and crisis in the opposition parties of PDP, SDP, and LP in order to gain political capital heading into the next election cycle.
“This assertion, to say the least, is the height of ignorance on the part of Mallam El-Rufai about who President Tinubu is.
“Here is a man who has been loyal to his political base and had never been known to decamp from his political roots but instead formed coalitions with other legacy parties to create the APC
“To think that such a man, who masterminded the upstaging of an incumbent party in 2015 and went on to work with then-President Buhari to ensure stability in the APC for those eight years before eventually becoming President through hard work and persuasive power, would now seek to cause division in other parties to his own disadvantage is simply illogical.
“The APC and the Tinubu administration will not be swayed by El-Rufai’s antics. We urge Nigerians to remain focused on the progress being made under President Tinubu’s leadership and to disregard the distractions posed by political actors whose time has passed.
“The government will continue to deliver on its promises, ensuring that the mandate given by the Nigerian people is fully realised.”
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