Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has stated that the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) cannot intervene in the challenges faced by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai regarding his ministerial nomination.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Sule, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors’ forum, clarified that El-Rufai remains a member of the APC, despite his rejection by the Senate for a ministerial post in August 2023.
“El-Rufai has not left our party; he is still part of our party,” Sule affirmed.
On the issue of El-Rufai’s nomination and subsequent rejection by the Senate, Sule explained that the Progressives Governors’ Forum had not discussed the matter, as it was outside their remit.
He emphasized that it was a matter for the President and relevant agencies, not the governors’ forum.
“The issue of his (El-Rufai’s) nomination, rejection by the Senate, or the security agencies, honestly, are not matters we discussed either at the PGF or even the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. They are not matters for us because if it doesn’t concern us, we can do nothing about it,” said the Nasarawa governor.
Sule also pointed out that the President has the exclusive right to nominate his ministers, while the National Assembly holds the power to confirm or reject those nominations.
El-Rufai, who was a key supporter of Bola Tinubu’s presidential campaign, had advocated for a southern candidate to fly the APC flag for the 2023 elections.
His stance was in line with the unwritten tradition of rotating power between the northern and southern regions.
Following Tinubu’s election victory, El-Rufai was nominated by the President for a ministerial role, but his nomination was blocked by the Senate in August 2023, citing security concerns raised by the Department of State Services.
Since the rejection, El-Rufai has been largely absent from APC events and has not been seen at the Aso Villa or in close proximity to President Tinubu.
Meanwhile, speculation surrounding his political future continues to grow, especially after he was spotted with Social Democratic Party (SDP) members, leading to rumors of a potential defection, which El-Rufai has denied.
Additionally, El-Rufai’s relationship with his successor in Kaduna, Governor Sani Uba, has soured, with the state assembly investigating alleged corruption during his tenure, claims which El-Rufai has strongly denied.
