An Islamic rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on Nigeria's 'President-elect' Bola Tinubu to ensure that Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State is given a ‘juicy’ position in his administration.
The group which stated this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, maintained that El-Rufai deserves a juicy post in the incoming administration because of the role he played in ensuring the victory of the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Both Tinubu and the ‘vice president-elect’, Kashim Shettima are Muslims. Many people, especially Christians kicked against the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
But according to the group, the role played by El-Rufai and 11 other governors from the North in ensuring that the South gets the mandate during the primaries as well as the support given by the same group to Tinubu during the new naira saga was unprecedented.
The statement partly read, "As the days inch closer to the inauguration of the new administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigerian political spectrum has been inundated with power struggle intrigues and post allocation schemes. This is not new to us since we know that failure is an orphan but winners are always surrounded by all and sundry.
"However, we deem it germane to remind the President-Elect of the need to pay debts owed and appreciate those who made his current status a fait accompli. This is important in order to start sowing the seed of success for the incoming administration as well as to secure a strong foothold for 2027.
"Gratitude is a major characteristic of a good Muslim. Allah says in the Glorious Qur'an, "If you are grateful, I will increase my favours on you..." (Qur'an 14:7). If the President-Elect shows appreciation to the 'Noble Dozen' from the North, he will enjoy more of their solidarity."
It added, "It is noteworthy that the 'Noble Dozen' - the twelve governors who insisted that power must shift to the South, was led by Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State. There is no Nigerian who is unaware of the unique support and unequalled solidarity given by this Northern group to the President-Elect. El-Rufai in particular left his palatial office in Kaduna to spend days in Abuja.
"His contribution to our victory, the victory of the Muslim-Muslim ticket is unquantifiable. He became the mouthpiece of the Muslim-Muslim ticket camp, moving from one media house to another. We must not allow all these to go in vain.
"In particular, we must remember the risk El-Rufai took as he stood between those in the corridor of power and their inglorious choices. We must not forget his bold confrontation of the central bank governor over the latter's misguided, ill-fated and accursed naira discolouring.
"It will beat all imaginations and expectations, particularly among Muslims if El-Rufai is not considered for a juicy post in the cabinet of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We have played national politics the way it should be played. But now is the time to be focused.
“Choice positions should not be allowed to go to political charlatans, fair-weather friends, hypocrites and parasites. El-Rufai is a different cup of tea. He is tested and trusted. He is the icon of Northern dignity.
"To the President-Elect we have this to say: guard very jealously the good relationship and the alliance between the North and the South West. It is a union steeped in historicity. Compensate the North for its dignity and integrity without being unfair to the rest of the country.”