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What Buhari told me about Gbajabiami – El-Rufai

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5 years ago

May 31, 2019

The immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has reportedly withdrawn his interest in being part of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet. According to report, presidency sources said Mr El-Rufai told President Tinubu at a meeting on Tuesday that he was no longer interested in becoming a minister but would continue to contribute his quota to the development of Nigeria as a private citizen. “He also told the president that he needed time to focus on his doctorate programme at a university in The Netherlands,” a source said. Another insider also said that the former governor suggested a new ministerial nominee — Jafaru Ibrahim Sani — for Kaduna State, saying the President would find him very useful and resourceful. Mr Sani served as commissioner in three ministries in Kaduna State (Local Government Education and Environment) while Mr El-Rufai was governor.

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The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, says President Muhammadu Buhari actually picked the House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos) for House of Reps Speaker, and not the APC national leader, Bola Tinubu as being insinuated in some quarters.

El-Rufai disclosed this on Friday when the Femi/Wase Campaign, alongside over 120 other lawmakers, paid him a visit at the Kaduna State Government House.

“There was a misconception that Femi’s candidature was from Bola Tinubu but the fact is that it was President Muhammadu Buhari himself who chose him because of his commitment and dedication to legislative duties.

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According to the Governor, President Buhari took the decision while he was away from the country, adding that some his colleagues raised some misgivings but it’s just a matter of working chemistry, whom you can work with comfortably; not competence or whatever, he explained.

“The last four years in the National Assembly have taught us bitter lessons about working chemistry,‎ and here in Kaduna State, I take part in choosing who becomes the Speaker of the State Assembly.

“So, I told the President that he must be involved in the process this time around.

‎”Kaduna State believes in Buhari’s words, and I assure you that there would be no contest on June 11 when the leadership of the National Assembly would be inaugurated,” El-Rufai said.