BY EMMANUEL PETER
The President-elect, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly rejected the idea of appointing Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el- Rufai as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
This is just as the President-elect has concluded plans to unveil the names of his Chief of Staff, SGF and Media Adviser.
Sources close to the President-elect have exclusively told Kakaaki Reporters that Mr. Tinubu even rebuked the emissaries sent to lobby for the Kaduna State governor.
According to the source, the President-elect “has rejected the idea of appointing Mr. el-Rufai into the office of the SGF in view of how controversial the Governor has been over the years.”
“The President-elect needs a man that will be totally loyal to him and the administration. He doesn’t need a Man that is too ambitious, or a man with lots of baggage.
“The President-elect looked out for a person that has commitment to serve, diligence, loyalty, competence and a man devoid of unnecessary controversy.
“Due to the many controversies that characterized the outcome of the election, The President-elect would prefer his administration to kick off on a smooth run, hence his decision to kick against the Kaduna State Governor who has many controversies from his home state,” said the source.
According to him, “the President-elect and his Vice, Senator Kashim Shettima believe that el-Rufai’s highhandedness in the governance of Kaduna State made the ruling party to lose in the state during the presidential and National Assembly elections.
“The party almost lost the governorship election, not because the people hate our governorship candidate, but it was due to his inhuman policies his administration unleashed on the people. So, both Tinubu and Shettima have already decided on who becomes the SGF, and it is not el-Rufai.”
The source also informed this newspaper that the Vice President-elect, Shettima, has been against the appointment el-Rufai into such powerful and sensitive position.
According to our source, “the Vice President-elect feared that el-Rufai is too smart, too ambitious and could undermine his office as he did during the Obasanjo and Atiku’s administration.
Our Correspondent reliably gathered that Gov. el-Rufai had lobbyist to pressurize the President-elect into appointing him as SGF, but all efforts by the lobbyist failed.
But, our source disclosed that el-Rufai’s recent negative comment against the President-elect could even hinder him from getting juicy appointment in Tinubu’s administration.
It will be recalled that el-Rufai had on 6th May, 2019 told Lagosians to defeat godfatherism in Lagos as he did in Kaduna State. A statement many commentators said he was referring to Mr. Tinubu.
It can also be recalled that an online blogger, olumuyiwa.com.ng had on May 11, 2019 reported the governor, saying he cannot be a running mate to a drug baron.
Though, KAKAAKI REPORTERS could not independently verify the statement, Olumuyiwa in his blog claimed that el-Rufai made the statement through one of his aides as exclusively reported by Daily Mail.
He quoted el-Rufai as saying “Nigerians know who a drug baron is. Nigerians know who was arrested and convicted of drug peddling in the US some decades ago.”
