Ministers: Pressure On Senate, Tinubu To Drop El-Rufai

A former senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani, has urged senators of the 10th assembly not to confirm the former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, as minister.

This is even as  a Bauchi based coalition of Quranic Reciters, Memorizers and Learners has appealed to President Bola  Ahmed Tinubu to remove El-Rufai’s name  from the ministerial list saying, El-rufai has no respect for fundamental human rights of a human beings.

El-Rufai, a known political foe of Shehu Sani and his former media aide did not respond to Daily Trust’s inquiries on the matter yesterday.

He enjoined the three senators from Kaduna to rise in honour and resist the confirmation and approval of the former governor for the sake of posterity of the nation.

Senator Sani reminded senators to respect the Senator Abubakar Sodangi Committee which banned El-Rufai from holding public office.

The statement read in part: “The Senate should uphold and respect the 2008 Senator Sodangi Committee that barred him from holding public office.

“Particularly the three senators from Kaduna State must categorically and unambiguously reject Elrufai’s nomination. Silence is a great disservice and betrayal of the people of Kaduna State who have suffered under his eight years of tyranny and persecution.

Meanwhile, a coalition of Quranic Reciters, Memorizers and Learners has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove the name of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai from the ministerial list saying, El-rufai has no respect for fundamental human rights of a human beings.

Addressing a press conference in Bauchi on behalf of the coalition the Director of Education Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi Foundation, Sheikh Sidi Ali, said appointing El-Rufai as a minister is repugnant to natural justice, equity, and good conscience insisting that El-rufai’s name should be removed in the interest of justice, peace, harmony and development of the country.

The cleric said, “We have seen the name of the former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir ElrufaI, a man that openly showed his hatred for Qur’anic students when he went to the House of Maulana Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi and evacuated hundreds of students with tear gas late in the night in his effort to stop learning and memorization of the Holy Quran.”

“Such kind of a person that has no respect for fundamental human right of  human beings, has no respect for their rights under the constitution of Nigeria that include freedom to live wherever you want, freedom of religion should not be considered for any appointment talk less of ministerial appointment,” he said

“President Tinubu should withdraw his name from the list he sent to the National Assembly in the interest of the country at heart and don’t clear him for any position, in order to do justice to the people of the Quran, and Nigerians,”

The cleric also call the National Assembly to reject Elrufai and warned lawmakers against approving his nomination in the best interest of the country.

Attempts to get the reaction of the ex-Kaduna governor were unsuccessful as he did not respond to phone call and text message. Also, his former media aide,  Muyiwa Adekeye, failed to respond to several phone calls and text messages sent to him by our reporters last night.

– Daily Trust, excluding headline