By Daniel Peters
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has called on President Bola Tinubu to discontinue sectional politics, citing concerns over lopsided appointments that favor his Yoruba kinsmen. El-Rufai’s statement came in response to an opinion piece by Nigerian-American writer Farooq Kperogi, who alleged that Tinubu plans to replace the head of NNPCL with another Yoruba individual.
El-Rufai emphasized that “two wrongs do not make a right” and advocated for “sensible inclusion” over “arrogant exclusion.” His comments follow criticism of Tinubu’s administration for stacking top federal positions with Yoruba individuals, a move that has drawn comparisons to former President Muhammadu Buhari’s near-exclusive appointment of northern Muslims to key positions.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) and the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) have also criticized Tinubu’s administration for destructive sectionalism and lopsidedness. However, el-Rufai’s comments have sparked controversy, with some critics accusing him of hypocrisy for not speaking out against Buhari’s similar actions during his tenure.
Human rights activist, Aisha Yesufu, also criticized El-Rufai, stating that he was instrumental in Tinubu’s emergence as President and had supported him despite concerns over his leadership style. “Whatever Tinubu is doing today, he got the memo from Buhari and his supporters who wanted to kill many of us because we said it was ICCIF! And you, @elrufai, you were one of those instrumental in Tinubu getting the critical number of votes he could use to rig the 2023 election, and you gleefully supported him,” Mrs Yesufu wrote on X.
Meanwhile, recall that Mr el-Rufai turned down Mr Tinubu’s ministerial position last year, following a hold on his endorsement by the Akpabio-led Senate. Some of his opponents swore the hold was due to Mr el-Rufai’s handling of ethnic and sectarian clashes that overshadowed most of his tenure as a two-term Governor, while others cited the politician’s insinuated propensity for corruption and betrayal of allies.
