Sir: When I wrote an article about Nasir El Rufai’s romance with controversy in 2021, I could not have predicted or forecast that he was going to be the centre of attention for the failure of the Senate to confirm his nomination as minister in 2023. This is more so because President Tinubu, then a candidate of his party, the All Progressives Congress, had publicly requested that El Rufai should join him to build Nigeria, if he wins. Even more so, because the Senate President was the president’s choice for the position – the support which eventually contributed to Senator Akpabio’s emergence. The senate should equally be in tune with the president’s nominees, expectedly. Even most especially, because El Rufai had been the most vocal supporter of power shift to southern Nigeria, which eventually led to the emergence of President Tinubu in February.
But then, I wouldn’t be the most surprised Nigerian if El Rufai’s nature and antecedents led to skirmishes with equally powerful Nigerians who will not feel comfortable with his presence as a member of the incoming cabinet. El Rufai himself would not be surprised. If anything is to be expected from a ministry headed by El-Rufai, it is that there will be a radical transformation, and heads are most certainly going to roll. The feet of vested interests will most certainly be stamped on. We have seen these far too many times in public positions headed by him. It is almost as if he leads with controversy. The status quo would be intimidated by the prospect of El Rufai as minister of the federation, again.
Hold it, however. Let us not get way in over our heads and assume that the reason why he and two others were not confirmed is because his security report was not ready, as intimated by the Senate President.
Why would we even assume any other reason, right? Well, there are a few reasons as to why anyone would smell foul play on the nominee. Why would the senators screen a nominee whose security report was not ready or is having issues? Why would the President nominate El Rufai in the first place, if he has issues that were not cleared? Are the security reports and background checks not part of the reasons why the submission of the ministerial nominations was delayed until the constitutional deadline?
All factors put into consideration, there are four most likely scenarios of outcomes to all of this. One, Mallam El Rufai’s report is returned okay and he is eventually confirmed as minister, and this turns out to be a monumental misunderstanding that is being blown out of proportion, and El Rufai too, is presently aware of this misunderstanding. I believe this could be the case. Second, the failure to confirm El Rufai leads to his disqualification and the jubilation of his detractors, notably Senator Shehu Sani.
Third, Mallam El Rufai declines the nomination and reclines into his shell. After all, he still remains an accidental public servant who has dedicated his most active years to building the country in several capacities. He is by all means an accomplished individual and humanitarian. He has even placed his offspring, Hon Bello El Rufai on the pedestal of political greatness. Perhaps more important is the identification, nurturing, mentoring and planting of young Nigerians across the country into leadership positions.
Fourth, Mallam El Rufai declines the nomination and initiates a new political movement which will form like-minded alliances to put pressure on the existing order. This way, he injects a hybrid movement of political mercenaries and missionaries to form formidable movement.
As we have seen in Nigeria since 1999, no movement or alliance is impossible. Mallam Nasir El Rufai’s romance with controversy continues like a vicious cycle!
•Aliyu Sulaiman, saliyu50@gmail.com
The Nation