Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South in the National Assembly, has stated that former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, earned the treatment he received from President Bola Tinubu particularly being dropped from the ministerial list due to his own history of political betrayal.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday night, Senator Ndume did not hold back in his criticism. He explained that El-Rufai had initially aligned himself with former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries. However, El-Rufai later shifted his loyalty to Bola Tinubu after Amaechi lost out.
“El-Rufai was supposed to be with us, supporting Amaechi. At some point, he changed sides and threw his weight fully behind Tinubu,” Ndume revealed. “That move caused a rift between us. Since then, I’ve not really been close to him because he left our group for political convenience.”
According to Ndume, El-Rufai not only supported Tinubu's presidential bid but also played a key role in mobilising support during the 2023 general elections. Following Tinubu’s victory, the former Kaduna governor was among the names submitted for ministerial appointments. However, he was later dropped from the final list, a development that raised eyebrows nationwide.
While the presidency gave no official explanation for the omission, speculation pointed to unresolved internal party disagreements and concerns reportedly raised during the Senate screening process. Despite this, El-Rufai had been cleared during his appearance in the Senate, where, due to his prior public service, he was allowed to “take a bow and go” a courtesy often extended to former governors and seasoned public officials.
Ndume, a former Senate Chief Whip, suggested that El-Rufai’s fate could be seen as political karma.
“He did it to us first, so maybe now he knows how it feels. I won’t pretend to be his fan or friend, but let’s be honest what goes around, comes around,” he said.
Despite acknowledging El-Rufai’s extensive contribution to Tinubu’s election success, Ndume criticised the president’s decision to exclude him from the ministerial cabinet after such efforts.
“That was where Mr. President made a misstep,” Ndume asserted. “El-Rufai had already been screened. He appeared before us in the Senate and we gave him the benefit of the doubt. Yet, he was later sidelined and up till now, no one can say exactly why.”
Ndume concluded that although the decision lies with the president, the manner in which El-Rufai was treated has sent a strong message across political circles one that underscores the unpredictable and often unforgiving nature of Nigerian politics.
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