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Fani-Kayode says El-Rufai’s ministerial nomination failed due to petitions over alleged actions as Kaduna governor.
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Former aviation minister rejects claims of conspiracy against El-Rufai during the confirmation process.
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Allegations surface as ICPC probe and political tensions deepen around the former governor.
Ambassador-designate to Germany and former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani‑Kayode, has offered fresh claims on why former Kaduna State governor Nasir El‑Rufai failed to secure confirmation as a minister after his nomination by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023.
According to Fani-Kayode, El-Rufai’s nomination was not rejected because of any political conspiracy involving top government officials, as widely speculated.
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Instead, he claimed that numerous petitions submitted to the Department of State Services by groups including Shi’ite Muslims, Tijaniya Muslims and Christian communities in Kaduna raised serious concerns about El-Rufai’s actions while serving as governor.
He said the allegations in the petitions were considered too serious to ignore, leading to the rejection of his ministerial nomination by the Nigerian Senate.
Fani-Kayode also dismissed claims by El-Rufai and his supporters that powerful figures in government orchestrated his rejection, insisting that such narratives were baseless.
He argued that if President Tinubu did not want El-Rufai to serve in the cabinet, the former governor would not have been nominated in the first place.
The former minister further alleged that El-Rufai’s current political and legal challenges were linked to controversies surrounding his actions during his tenure both as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration and later as governor of Kaduna State.
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El-Rufai is currently facing investigations over allegations including money laundering, diversion of public funds and illegal surveillance, while reportedly in custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
Fani-Kayode maintained that the issues surrounding the former governor now go beyond politics, describing them as matters that could raise broader national security concerns.
