Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has alleged that certain individuals, whom he described as “clowns,” are being paid to defend the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
El-Rufai made the remarks on Monday during a national conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, where he criticized the state of governance and opposition in the country, describing it as a “national emergency.” He further accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of lacking internal democracy, stating that he no longer recognized the party he helped to build.
His comments sparked speculation about his possible exit from the APC, drawing reactions from party loyalists, including the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala.
In response to El-Rufai’s criticism, Bwala took to social media, questioning whether the former governor would have expressed the same views had he been part of the current administration.
“My senior brother, if you were to be in the government and cabinet, would you have held and expressed the same position? It is a government you participated in its formation, that you now want to unseat. Haba Mallam, a Ji soron Allah mana,” Bwala wrote.
El-Rufai swiftly countered, dismissing Bwala as a “latter-day convert” to Tinubu’s government. He reiterated that he had informed President Tinubu that he was not interested in serving in his administration.
“I was a cabinet minister 22 years ago, and it was clear to Asiwaju that I was not interested in any position in his future government,” El-Rufai stated.
He further criticized those defending the government, suggesting that their actions reflected “moral flexibility.”
“If I had remained in the Tinubu government, I would still say or do the same regarding the tragedy within a party I was a founder of, and the government that emerged from it,” he added.
