Nasir El-rufai gears up to fight Tinubu, prepares suit in two courts

According to Saturday Vanguard, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, is getting ready to take President Bola Tinubu to court in at least two instances.

The legal struggle is expected to take place in national courts, where El-Rufai hopes to dispel the accusation that he poses a security concern, as well as in the public opinion arena, where political players anticipate that he will serve as a significant obstacle to the president’s reelection in 2027.

The former governor was publicly humiliated by the Tinubu administration, according to both allies and enemies, and was deemed unqualified to hold a cabinet position, setting the ground for the next conflict.

With gyrations across the North during the last two weeks, Mallam, as he is affectionately called by his close allies, has excited the political class in a way that has attracted public attention.

In addition to holding two open meetings with the leaders of the Social Democratic Party, the former governor further cemented his affiliation with the political opposition by paying a visit to Senator Abdul Ningi, the suspended legislator representing the Bauchi Central Senatorial District.

The inclination towards the opposition stems from what both allies and adversaries see as the public humiliation inflicted upon the outgoing governor.

Several reports claim that even though El-Rufai made significant financial and strategic contributions to Tinubu’s election as president, he had vowed not to take a position in the new administration.

It had been reported that the former governor had preferred a sabbatical in academia.

Nonetheless, the president courted him by pleading with him to assist in reviving the energy industry. Before he made his ministerial pronouncement, El-Rufai was said to have begun establishing procedures and plans to address the industry. His experience as director-general of the Bureau for Public Enterprises, where he participated in the Olusegun Obasanjo administration’s energy reform initiatives, served as a foundation for his preparation.

To everyone’s surprise, though, El-Rufai was removed from consideration for the Senate ministerial screening on the grounds that his security clearance was insufficient.

Several political actors were left dumbfounded by his inability to obtain a security clearance, considering his critical role in forcing Northern governors to support Tinubu ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) convention. In addition, it was learned that the previous governor was instrumental in helping several Southwest states that the APC did not control elect a president.

A senior government official from one of the Southwest states on the condition of anonymity said: “He played a key role in funding us in my state and I can tell this because I was personally involved,” the official from one of the Southwest states said.

In addition to his noteworthy contribution, as confirmed by the Southwest State official, El-Rufai shocked many in the latter stages of the Muhammadu Buhari administration when he and others decided to challenge the federal government over the naira redesign project.

El-Rufai defended his opposition to the Buhari administration’s naira redesign strategy by stating that people close to the former president, who were unsuccessful in their attempt to prevent Tinubu from winning the presidential ticket, intended to incite the political opposition against the APC.

“They also sought to achieve any one or more of the following objectives: create a nationwide shortage of cash so that citizens are incited to vote against APC candidates across the board resulting in massive losses for the Party in all the elections.”

Nevertheless, a source close to El-Rufai revealed that, despite his outstanding contribution to Tinubu’s ascent to power, the former governor’s camp felt that he shouldn’t have been publicly humiliated and labeled a security risk.

A previous governor’s confidant revealed to Saturday Vanguard:

“You think Mallam will allow this tag to abide on him? I can assure you that he is going to clear his name in court.
El-Rufai is a man who has many contacts internationally and he is not one to allow his reputation to be smeared by the reason given by the Senate of being a security risk,” the source said in revealing the prospects of court action to enable the former governor to clear his name.

In addition to using the legal system, it was learned that the former governor is organizing to oppose Tinubu in the court of public opinion prior to 2027.

However, it is unclear if El-Rufai would run for office or organize opposition to the president in 2027 in the same manner that he did for him in 2023.

On Saturday According to Vanguard, El-Rufai gave Tinubu strategic facilitation after making fun of Tinubu’s godfather status in the past. In a May 2019 lecture, he had declared that it was possible to overcome Lagos’ godfather.

A year later at a webinar to commemorate the 63rd birthday of Rauf Aregbesola in May 2020, El-Rufai had said that Tinubu was not his man.

While congratulating Aregbesola, El-Rufai said, “I want to congratulate my brother, Ogbeni (Aregbesola), on his birthday. You know I’m your man any day. I’m not Asiwaju’s man and you are Asiwaju’s man, but I am your man any day. Asiwaju and I have differences but you and I have no differences.”