I Know People Who Bought Their Ministerial Appointments Under Tinubu Administration – El-Rufai

Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has declared that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is “dead”, claiming the party has strayed far from the principles upon which it was founded. Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, El-Rufai also alleged that he personally knows individuals who paid to secure ministerial appointments under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

El-Rufai made it clear that his decision to part ways with the APC was not due to his own failed ministerial nomination but stemmed from a broader disillusionment with the direction the party has taken. “It could have been easier for me if APC sacked me, because that would save me the stress of explaining why I left,” he said. He insisted that he did not abandon the party, but rather, the party abandoned him and its founding values.

When asked about the perception that he may have left because he was not appointed as a minister, El-Rufai dismissed the idea. “Did I seek to be minister? I know people who paid to get ministerial appointments,” he stated, pointing to a culture of transactional politics within the current administration.

While reiterating that he did not regret supporting President Tinubu’s presidential bid, El-Rufai admitted to feeling disappointed with how things turned out. He expressed frustration that the APC has now become a platform for personal enrichment rather than national development. “Everyone is now pursuing personal interests and wealth. The government has become a business enterprise where everything has a price,” he said.

El-Rufai also accused a select group from Lagos of monopolising appointments and shutting out those who genuinely contributed to the party’s success. “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,” he declared.

Before making his final decision, El-Rufai said he consulted with several political figures, including former President Muhammadu Buhari, Tunde Bakare, Abdullahi Adamu, Adams Oshiomhole, and Bisi Akande, to seek their counsel.