Former Governor of Kaduna State and ex-Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, has delivered a scathing critique of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, describing his cabinet as the largest and weakest in Nigeria’s democratic history.
In a candid interview on Arise News aired on Monday, El-Rufai did not hold back in expressing his disappointment in the direction the Tinubu government has taken since its inception.
According to him, the current administration lacks the competence, inclusiveness, and technocratic strength needed to tackle Nigeria’s deep-rooted problems.
“Look at his cabinet—it’s a joke. It is the largest in Nigeria’s history, and maybe only five of them can be called real ministers,” El-Rufai said bluntly.
He contrasted the current cabinet with the caliber of ministers he worked with two decades ago during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“In my time as a minister 20 years ago, we had individuals of the calibre of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Oby Ezekwesili. Who in this cabinet fits that profile? There is simply no quality. We’ve brought a tragedy upon Nigeria,” he stated.
Despite their shared political platform, El-Rufai revealed that he and President Tinubu never enjoyed a close personal relationship, attributing the distance to his long-standing loyalty to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“I was never close to Tinubu. In the party, I was a ‘Buhari boy.’ Tinubu had his boys,” he explained. “The person I had a bond with was Baba Bisi Akande; I served as his deputy national secretary. Tinubu never liked me. But once he won the ticket, I set personal issues aside and worked to deliver Kaduna State for him. That was my duty as a party man.”
El-Rufai admitted that he bears part of the blame for what he now perceives as a failed administration, acknowledging that his support for Tinubu during the 2023 elections was based on faith in his past record as Lagos State Governor.
“I supported him because I believed in his Lagos legacy. He was inclusive. He brought in professionals like Yemi Osinbajo and Wale Edun from the private sector. He appointed Igbos and Hausas to key positions, and he got things done. But now… this?” he lamented.
The former governor, now 65 and hinting at retirement, said he feels a moral obligation to help steer the country away from what he sees as a looming disaster.
“I feel I owe Nigeria a duty to correct this mistake. I cannot rest knowing I helped bring in a government that is now hurting Nigerians. I will do all I can—with others—to reverse this trajectory. If we leave this unchecked, Nigeria will be destroyed.”
El-Rufai’s remarks are likely to stir controversy within the political establishment, especially among loyalists of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). However, they also underscore growing disillusionment among some key figures who once championed the Tinubu presidency.
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