The lawmaker representing Borno South senatorial district, Senator Ali Ndume, has said that sometimes he is tempted to gloat over the rift between President Bola Tinubu and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
According to Ndume, who was the Director-General of the Rotimi Amaechi Presidential campaign, El-Rufai was in Amaechi camp but suddenly shifted his support to Tinubu prior to the primary election.
Ndume stated this during an interview on Arise News on Tuesday, adding that this might be part of El-Rufai’s frustration with Tinubu.
News360 Info recalls that during Amaechi’s consultation visit to Kaduna State, El-Rufai publicly declared to work with the former Rivers governor but later changed his mind after Asiwaju Bola Tinubu made a similar visit.
He said, “El-Rufai was supposed to be on our side but somehow, he moved over. And I think these are part of the things that are annoying or frustrating him.
“He was on our side. Amaechi’s side. Before Tinubu was nominated, he made up his mind to support Tinubu, and Tinubu, as he rightly said, said that he should not leave and that he should come on board, join the government.
“So since then, I’ve not been that [close to El-Rufai] because he abandoned our group. He was on our side but went to support Tinubu fully. You know, he really mobilized. He did a lot of things. Tinubu asked him to join the government but somehow, up till now, I don’t understand what happened [El-Rufai and Tinubu] but that is not my business.
“But sometimes, I’ll say, ‘okay o, you did that to us, it’s payback to yourself’. But, I cannot understand, I was the Chief Whip. El-Rufai came to the chamber [for ministerial screening] and we almost like told him to take a bow and go…”
News360 Info recalls that after his victory, Tinubu nominated El-Rufai for a ministerial appointment but the former Kaduna State governor was rejected.
He is now a leading member of the anti-Tinubu coalition after he dumped the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Social Democratic Party, SDP.
