Former Kaduna State governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, has alleged that ministerial appointments in President Bola Tinubu’s administration were secured through financial payments, further claiming that governance in Nigeria has been commercialized.
El-Rufai made the claims during an interview with BBC Hausa, where he dismissed speculations that his departure from the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was due to being denied a ministerial position. He insisted that he never sought a ministerial role and only attended the screening process at the president’s insistence.
According to El-Rufai, some individuals within Tinubu’s government allegedly paid to be appointed as ministers, a practice that, he argued, undermines merit-based governance.
“I know those who even paid money to be appointed as ministers,” he claimed. “The President personally begged me to join his government. He wanted me to help him resolve the country’s electricity challenges. But I later realized things were not as I thought.”
El-Rufai criticized the APC, asserting that the party had strayed from its founding principles and had become motivated by financial gain rather than governance.
“The APC has derailed; the party is no longer abiding by its founding principles. Everyone is working for themselves, looking for money. The government is commercialized; everything has a price tag,” he said.
He further accused the party leadership of sidelining those who worked for its success in favor of select individuals, especially those with close ties to Lagos, where President Tinubu has significant political influence.
Before leaving the APC, El-Rufai disclosed that he informed former President Muhammadu Buhari and sought his blessings. He attributed his entry into the party to Pastor Tunde Bakare, rather than Buhari, clarifying that he had no personal loyalty to the former president.
“I’ve publicly denounced my membership of the party. They can go and hold on to the party; they can eat the party alone like food. We’ve given up,” he declared.
He added that he had been sidelined from APC activities and was not involved in party decisions, asserting that the party had effectively abandoned him.
El-Rufai’s allegations raise concerns about transparency and meritocracy in Nigeria’s political appointments. His remarks may also fuel further scrutiny of the Tinubu administration’s selection process for key government positions.
The APC is yet to respond officially to El-Rufai’s claims, but political analysts suggested that his departure from the ruling party could have significant implications for the country’s political landscape, particularly as the 2027 elections approach.