I know people who lobbied to get ministerial appointments – El-Rufai

Former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has claimed that certain individuals paid to secure ministerial appointments in President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) government.

In an interview with BBC Hausa, El-Rufai dismissed suggestions that his ministerial ordeal was the reason he left the party.

Instead, he argued that the APC had deviated from its founding principles, making it unrecognizable from what it once stood for.

“It could have been easier for me if APC sacked me because they would have saved me from explaining the stress of why I left the party,” El-Rufai stated.

When asked whether he left APC because he was not appointed as a minister, the former governor refuted the claim, insisting that he never sought a ministerial position.

“Did I seek to be minister? I know people who paid to get ministerial appointments,” he alleged.

Despite his dissatisfaction with how he was treated, El-Rufai maintained that he had no regrets supporting President Tinubu’s ambition but admitted feeling let down.

“I didn’t regret supporting Tinubu’s presidential ambition, but I feel disappointed,” he said.

El-Rufai lamented that the APC had shifted from its original mission, claiming that personal interests now dictate governance.

He expressed concern that those who contributed to the party’s success were neither recognised nor rewarded.

“The APC abandoned the ideals that led to its formation. It has abandoned the people. Everyone is now pursuing personal interests and wealth. The government has become a business enterprise where everything has a price,” he asserted.

He further alleged that key appointments in the current administration were controlled by a select group from Lagos, reinforcing his belief that the party no longer upholds fairness and justice.

“There is no justice. Those who worked for the party are not recognised, let alone rewarded. Appointments are now controlled by a select group from Lagos. The party is dead,” El-Rufai declared.

Before leaving the APC, he revealed that he consulted several political figures, including former president Muhammadu Buhari, Tunde Bakare, Abdullahi Adamu, Adams Oshiomhole, and Bisi Akande, to seek their opinions on his decision.