President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has said that former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is pained over his exclusion from Tinubu’s ministerial appointments.
El-Rufai, who was initially nominated as a minister by Tinubu, was eventually screened out by the Senate. Since then, he has become increasingly critical of Tinubu’s administration and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a recent interview, El-Rufai claimed that his ministerial rejection was not by the Senate but rather a decision made by Tinubu himself.
However, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Onanuga said that while El-Rufai played a significant role in Tinubu’s emergence as president, he needs to move past the disappointment of not being appointed a minister.
“I will pity former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. He feels hurt that he was not made a minister, but I think it’s time for him to move on,” Onanuga said.
“You cannot continue to behave like a child as if someone stole his bread, and then you are crying over spilt milk.”
Onanuga acknowledged that El-Rufai’s frustration is understandable, given his contributions to Tinubu’s election victory, but he maintained that the president has never downplayed his efforts.
“It is natural for him to feel bad that he has been excluded. I think the president has acknowledged in a recent tribute to him that Nasir did a lot in installing President Tinubu, and if he is not there, it doesn’t mean he will bring down the roof,” he stated.
According to the presidential aide, Tinubu holds nothing against El-Rufai, but the former Kaduna governor has been on a campaign against the president simply because he feels aggrieved.
Onanuga urged El-Rufai to let go of his grievances, emphasizing that he has been in public service since 1999.
“It’s time for him to move on,” he added.
