El-Rufai, one of the ministerial nominees of President Bola Tinubu, had withdrawn his interest and recommended Jafaru Sani, a staunch loyalist who served as commissioner in his administration as Kaduna governor, as his replacement.
The Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani has rejected the ministerial candidate of the immediate past governor of the state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Jafaru Sani, Peoples Gazette reported on Saturday.
El-Rufai, one of the ministerial nominees of President Bola Tinubu, had withdrawn his interest and recommended Jafaru Sani, a staunch loyalist who served as commissioner in his administration as Kaduna governor, as his replacement.
Peoples Gazette learned that Mr El-Rufai informed the president that he had notified Governor Sani about the option and that both parties had agreed before the former governor left for Egypt.
However, a source privy to the incident to the newspaper that Governor Sani rushed back from a trip to London on Thursday evening to inform Mr Tinubu at the State House that he and El-Rufai did not reach an agreement that Jafaru Sani should be the substitute minister.
The source was quoted by Peoples Gazette saying: “He (Governor Sani) has now told the president to expect another name. He complained that Jafaru Sani has no political relevance in Kaduna and has been too loyal to El-Rufai.”
El-Rufai has reportedly accused Tinubu of withholding information from him regarding the gang-up against him following a security report that prevented the Senate from confirming his nomination.
The new twist might open up a new political crisis in Kaduna as Governor Uba Sani was El-Rufai’s candidate to succeed him as governor ahead of the 2023 election and the former governor ensured his success at the poll.
The Gazette gathered that the attack against Mr El-Rufai has been championed within the State House by National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Mr Ribadu authorised a controversial security dossier that accused Mr El-Rufai of violence and corruption, the report said.
Mr El-Rufai has been blamed for the murderous violence that marred his administration as Kaduna governor. He has also been accused of making provocative speeches to incite ethnic and religious fervour, and accused of corruption while serving as the Federal Capital Territory minister and governor of Kaduna.