Some aides of the former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai have released a video footage of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appealing to El-Rufai to work with him.
This is coming as a counter to a July 2022 video of El-Rufai discussing with some unidentified people where he was seen sayingi it would be unfair for him to return as minister at over 60 having earlier served 20 years ago.
El-Rufai was minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from 2003 to 2007 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Last week, Tinubu had submitted his name to the senate as one of the 28 ministerial nominees. This draws backlash in social media, resurfacing his July 2022 video.
El- Rufai said, “You became a minister at forty-three and after twenty years then you become a minister at sixty-three? What of your children and younger brothers? Will they not become ministers? Is the position meant for you alone? I don’t like this. Let go of this topic.
“Thank God I was lucky that I became Minister of Abuja when I was forty-three-old. Next year I will clock sixty-three. Then I will go back. So, nobody among my younger brothers and children is capable of becoming a minister? You fail when you fail to train those to succeed you. I have trained a lot of people who are capable of succeeding in many areas,” he said in Hausa.
In reaction, some supporters of the ex-governor released a video of Tinubu appealing to El-Rufai not to leave the country.
The president, who was then flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), spoke in October 2022, while addressing attendees of the Kaduna Investment Summit which was held at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua conference hall in Kaduna.
“…We won’t let you run away from the country. That is the only way I will leave this podium,” Tinubu said in the video.
El-Rufai, who was seated in the crowd walked up to the podium and said, “I promise.”
