BREAKING: Senate asked to stop confirmation of El-Rufai as minister

Former Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani, has called on Senators of the 10th Assembly to withhold confirmation of the former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, as Minister. In a statement issued on Sunday to journalists, the ex-lawmaker expressed surprise at El-Rufai’s nomination despite concerns over his religious coloration, which he believes poses a danger to national unity.

Senator Sani urged the three Senators from Kaduna State to take a stand against El-Rufai’s confirmation and approval for the sake of the nation’s posterity. He reminded his colleagues to respect the 2008 Senator Abubakar Sodangi Committee’s decision that barred El-Rufai from holding public office.

“The Senate should uphold and respect the 2008 Senator Sodangi Committee that barred him from holding public office. Particularly the 3 Senators from Kaduna State; they must categorically and unambiguously reject El-Rufai’s nomination,” Sani stated in the issued statement.

He further criticized El-Rufai’s track record, accusing him of religious intolerance, extremism, and disrespect for the rule of law during his eight years as governor. Senator Sani asserted that such a person does not deserve to be a Minister, and confirming him would be a disservice to the people of Kaduna state who, in his view, have suffered under El-Rufai’s leadership.

The former Senator also cautioned Senators against confirming El-Rufai, describing it as a betrayal of the nation’s moral conscience. He warned that accepting El-Rufai as a Minister could have detrimental effects on the government, particularly under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Senate is scheduled to begin screening and confirmation of 28 Ministerial nominees sent by President Tinubu on Monday. The outcome of the confirmation process for Malam Nasir El-Rufai remains a subject of keen interest and debate among political circles in Nigeria.