Malam Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, has made explosive revelations about the inner workings of President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) government, alleging that ministerial appointments were up for sale.
In a tell-all interview with BBC Hausa, El-Rufai disclosed that he personally knows individuals who paid bribes to secure ministerial positions in Tinubu’s administration. He emphasized that his own struggles over a ministerial appointment were not the reason he distanced himself from the APC but rather, the party’s deviation from its founding principles.
> “It would have been easier if the APC had sacked me. That way, I wouldn’t have to explain why I left,” El-Rufai stated.
Dismissing claims that he left the APC out of bitterness over not receiving a ministerial post, El-Rufai fired back, saying:
> “Did I seek to be a minister? I know people who paid to get ministerial appointments.”
Although he does not regret supporting Tinubu’s presidential ambition, El-Rufai admitted that he feels deeply disappointed by the way he has been treated.
> “I didn’t regret supporting Tinubu, but I feel disappointed.”
According to him, the APC has strayed from its original vision, becoming a party where personal interests take precedence over governance.
> “The APC abandoned the ideals that led to its formation. It has abandoned the people. Everyone is now pursuing personal interests and wealth. The government has become a business enterprise where everything has a price.”
El-Rufai also claimed that a small, powerful circle from Lagos now dictates key appointments in the federal government, sidelining those who toiled to bring the party to power.
> “There is no justice. Those who worked for the party are not recognized, let alone rewarded. Appointments are now controlled by a select group from Lagos. The party is dead.”
Before finally severing ties with the APC, El-Rufai revealed that he sought the counsel of prominent political figures, including former President Muhammadu Buhari, Tunde Bakare, Abdullahi Adamu, Adams Oshiomhole, and Bisi Akande. However, his concerns about the party’s future remained unaddressed.
El-Rufai’s bombshell statements paint a grim picture of the APC’s internal workings, raising critical questions about corruption, favoritism, and the party’s commitment to the Nigerian people.
PIONEER NEWS 