El-Rufai, Omokri clash over ministerial appointment claims

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has dismissed allegations by Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, accusing him of frustration over being left out of President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial appointments.

In a heated exchange, El-Rufai labeled Omokri a “political mercenary” known for shifting allegiances based on financial incentives.

The feud began after Omokri suggested that El-Rufai’s criticism of a Lagos State rail project funded by the Federal Government was driven by resentment over his exclusion from Tinubu’s cabinet. Omokri tweeted:

“Nasir El-Rufai is just being clever by half in expressing his frustration at not being made a minister by attacking the funding of a rail project in Lagos by the Federal Government. Under Buhari, Nigeria took out a $2 billion loan to build a railway in Niger Republic. Did El-Rufai complain then? Not at all!

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“Today, that same Niger is now hostile towards Nigeria. If we can build a railway worth $2 billion (which was 10% of Niger’s GDP at the time) for a foreign country because General Buhari’s father was from Niger, why shouldn’t the Federal Government contribute towards building a railway in Lagos State? After all, 8% of Nigeria’s population lives in Lagos, while 35% of our GDP comes from Lagos, which contributes ₦44.17 trillion to our economy.”

Omokri also pointed out the Federal Government’s previous $1.2 billion investment in the Abuja-Kaduna railway under Jonathan’s administration, highlighting what he described as El-Rufai’s selective outrage.

In a swift response on X (formerly Twitter), El-Rufai shared images of Omokri protesting against Tinubu’s election, accusing him of inconsistency and branding him “Wendell Simlin,” a reference to past allegations of identity fraud against Omokri.

In 2014, an American woman accused Omokri of using her son’s name to link former Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi to Boko Haram.

“The interesting lifecycle of Wendell Simlin, also sometimes retained as a political mercenary by any person or government that can pay,” El-Rufai wrote.

The spat has stirred reactions within political circles, with some interpreting El-Rufai’s remarks as indirect criticism of Tinubu’s administration.

Senator Shehu Sani, a former lawmaker representing Kaduna Central, accused El-Rufai of hypocrisy, pointing to his silence on nepotism during Buhari’s tenure.

“There were people who were silent when Buhari was filling political offices with his kinsmen and have now found their voices to speak out when the equation doesn’t favour them,” Sani tweeted.

He added, “Kaduna was an apartheid state for eight years. While anyone can critique Tinubu on alleged lopsided appointments or nepotism, El-Rufai lacks the moral standing to do so.”

The controversy has further exposed cracks within Nigeria’s political landscape, with tensions over appointments and perceived allegiances threatening to deepen divisions within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).