The former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has withdrawn his interest after the rejection by the Senate to confirm his nomination for ministerial appointment.
According to Premium Times, El-Rufai told President Bola Tinubu at Aso Rock that he was no longer interested in being a minister in his cabinet when he visited the president on Tuesday in the company of Nyesome Wike the erstwhile Governor of River State.
We had reported that El-Rufai and Wike were at the presidential villa to make a case for El-Rufai concerning his non-confirmation by the senators.
While no details were provided during the visit, it has emerged that shaken by the Senate rejection on account of “dirty†petitions which bordered on national security, the former Minister has informed the president of his withdrawal not without pledging his loyalty and readiness to contribute to his administration but from the sideline.
“He also told the president that he needed time to focus on his doctorate programme at a university in The Netherlands,†the paper quoted a source.
In his place, the report said El-Rufai suggested a new ministerial nominee in the person of Jafaru Ibrahim Sani, Kaduna State, who he had appointed as a commissioner during his time as Governor.
Apart from El-Rufai, two other nominees Sani Danladi, Taraba, and Stella Okotete, Delta, were also rejected by the Senate.