By Ayo Kehinde
The Presidency has urged former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to move on and let go of his grievances over his failed ministerial appointment, advising him to stop behaving like a “child crying over spilled milk.”
El-Rufai’s nomination as a minister in President Bola Tinubu’s administration was stalled in August 2023 after the Senate withheld his confirmation due to alleged security concerns raised by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Speaking on Monday during an interview with Arise TV, El-Rufai insisted that he was not rejected by the National Assembly but that President Tinubu personally withdrew his nomination despite earlier inviting him to serve in the government.
However, reacting to the comments on Tuesday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed El-Rufai’s lamentations, stating that it was time for him to move on.
“I feel for former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. He is clearly hurt by the fact that he was not made a minister, but he needs to move forward. You cannot continue to act like a child whose toy has been taken away,” Onanuga said on Channels Television.
While acknowledging El-Rufai’s role in Tinubu’s electoral victory, Onanuga maintained that the president had already recognised his contributions.
“It is understandable that he feels bad about being left out. However, President Tinubu has publicly acknowledged Nasir’s efforts in getting him elected. Not being part of the cabinet does not mean he should try to bring down the house,” he added.
Onanuga also dismissed any insinuations of bad blood between the president and El-Rufai, suggesting that the former governor’s bitterness was a result of personal disappointment.
“El-Rufai has been in public service since 1999. It’s time for him to move on,” he concluded.
