Attention Returns To ‘Ministerial Appointment’ Controversy As Ex-Gov El-Rufai Pays ‘Solidarity Visit’ To Senator Ningi In Abuja

Former governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir Elrufai has visited Senator Abdul Ningi at his Abuja residence and many have described this as a ‘solidarity visit’.

Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central, has gotten a great deal of public attention since he raised an issue that later made him earn suspension from the senate a few days ago.

He was suspended for three months by his colleagues for raising budget padding allegations which they (the senators) have described as false.

Recall that Senator Ningi had during an interview with the BBC Hausa service, raised allegations of budget padding against those in charge of the affairs of the senate and the presidency.

The presidency had however described the views expressed by the senator as ‘strange’.

‘Apart from what the National Assembly did on the floors of the senate and the House of Representatives, there was another budget that was done underground which we didn’t know.
The new things we have discovered in the budget were not known to us. We haven’t seen them in the budget that was debated and considered on the floor of the National Assembly.
For example, it was said that there was a budget of N28 trillion but what was passed was N25 trillion. So, there is N3 trillion on top. Where are they, where is it going? So, we need to know this. There are a lot of things’ Ningi had submitted during the controversial interview.

El-Rufai’s ‘solidarity visit’ to Ningi’s residence and the show of camaraderie had since given birth to insinuations and inferences are already being made.

Team@orientactualmags.com  learned that attention has also returned to a particular topic; El-Rufai’s failure to win confirmation from the Senate after getting nominated as minister by President Bola Tinubu last year.

It has actually become a ‘topical issue’ on social media and people are discussing and making their thoughts known on the current political situation. Many had also leapt to conclusions that what he has done had to do with the 2027 presidential election having earlier visited the SDP national secretariat, in Abuja on Wednesday.

SDP National Secretary, Dr Olu Agunloye however said the visit was not ‘political’.

‘Everybody has been friends with El-rufai. The National Chairman and El-Rufai were in the PDP at some point. El-Rufai and I were in (Olusegun) Obasanjo’s cabinet. He only came to visit his old friends. So, what can come out of that? I don’t know. Anything can and nothing may.
It wasn’t as if there was an appointment for the visit. If you were in Abuja and came to the office, you would meet us because we are all here. So, it was a friendly visit’ he said.

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Will Elrufai consider the idea of joining the SDP? ‘It depends on him. If he wants to join, there is no problem at all. Of course, he will be welcome. If you want to join the SDP, we will welcome you, If President Tinubu wants to join the SDP, we will welcome him.
But the issue at the moment is beyond whether someone is joining a party or not. There are issues on the ground which is how to save Nigeria.
People must come together across party lines and across religious borders to address the problems. Things are not going right in Nigeria. It goes beyond just turning to God to save us as if it is God that put us in this mess’ Agunloye submitted.

Recall that El-rufai was among the 48 individuals nominated as ministers by President Bola Tinubu and though confirmation hearings were held for them, the senate however refused to confirm the former Kaduna state governor and two others; Stella Okotete (Delta state) and Danladi Umar (Taraba state).

El-rufai was said to have felt incensed that nothing was done by the presidency to save the situation while a quick action was  however taken by the presidency to  ‘ease’ things for Festus Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

He therefore believed that the decision of the senate to deny him ‘confirmation’ was pre-planned and premeditated.

El-Rufai had earlier served as FCT minister during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you