Northern youths mount pressure on Tinubu to drop El-Rufai as minister

31st July 2023
President of the Senate,
Federal Republic of Nigeria
National Assembly Complex, Three Arms zone,
PMB 141, FCT Abuja.

Sir,

A PETITION AGAINST THE NOMINATION OF H.E MAL. NASIRU EL- RUFAI BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU FOR SENATE CONFIRMATION AS A MINISTER OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.

Mr. President sir, following your unveiling of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ministerial nominee’s to the Senate on Thursday July 27 2023.

We write on behalf of the Southern Kaduna Youth and Students Forum (SKYSFOM) to draw the attention of the 10th Senate on why one of the ministerial nominee, Mal. Nasiru El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna State should not be confirmed by the Senate to serve as a minister in the Federal Republic of Nigeria or the President Tinubu government.

Mr. President sir, being aware of the nomination list of persons before the Senate for confirmation as ministers, concerned for the fragile nature of the nation with regards to our stability as a nation, and concerned about the uprising among citizens we find it highly necessary to make this petition against the nomination of Mallam Nasiru El’rufai, the immidiate former Governor of Kaduna State who we understand is a nominee among others.

We are a group of people whose interest is in promoting peace, unity and progress of Nigeria, our interest is bordering on the fact that at this moment, the nation need to be very deliberate and careful in selecting her leaders.

Mallam Nasiru El’rufai has over the years conducted himself as a divisive leader who does not have the interest of the stability of Nigeria at heart, his disposition to building a peaceful and united Nigeria is zero. He remains a very controversial character in the Nigerian polity whose utterances and actions have stared alot of negative energy in time past and even recently.

It is no longer news again, that H.E Mal. Nasiru El-Rufai is a Ethno-Religious bigot, particularly against the people of Southern Kaduna. Such a character should not be given another opportunity to serve Nigeria in any capacity, particularly our Nigeria of today.

Characters like El-Rufai are capable of dividing, disuniting and setting Nigeria on fire like he did in Kaduna State, where religious intolerance, distrust among citizens is now the order of the day. At this particularly point in our history as a nation.

Nigeria is in dire need of leaders who will demonstrate and promote Compassion, empathy, inclusiveness, justice, fairness and unity not the reverse.

The immediate past governor of Kaduna State should not be given consideration because he will do more harm to Nigeria than good.

You could recalled that few months ago, El-Rufai become a national discus, following his inflammatory and inciteful comments in a viral video against the Christian population in Kaduna State, while justifying his same faith ticket legacy. Southern Kaduna is populated by Christians, so therefore El-Rufai’s inciteful comments on that video are directed to the Southern Kaduna people.

During his eight years of rulership and tyranny, many lives and properties where lost in southern Kaduna to persistent attacks without remorse from the El-Rufai’s government rather inciteful, hateful and disrespectful statements against our elders and the Southern Kaduna people entirely.
His inflammatory statements captured on that viral video alone should propel the Senate not to confirm his nomination because like in Kaduna State, he will surely repeat same at National level which will not be healthy to us as a Nation.

The Nigeria youths may not be patient with, or tolerate El-Rufai’s religious intolerance, extrimism, incitement and inflammatory statements like the Southern Kaduna Youth and her people did. Kaduna state is yet to recover from El-Rufai’s religious bigotry, extremism and intolerance legacies, Nigeria should not be his next victim.

The Senate should assess the performance of Mallam Nasiru El’rufai as Governor of our dear Kaduna State, his administration was characterized by sectionalism and all divisive tendencies. He was that one governor who was interested in talking how in his ironic perception which religion has higher population than which, a governor who will tell a higher percentage of citizens of his state that their votes don’t matter, a governor who was antagonistic to any individual, association, group, community or organization that is critical about his administration, a governor who was reckless with words and careless about the feeling or opinion of his citizens of all social and political Status.

In most recent times, the same El’rufai in a viral video released a rather unnecessary controversial issue published around where-in, he tried to justify his promotion of same faith ticket in Kaduna State and Nigeria, forgetting that there are people who worked and voted for such ticket but doesn’t practices the same religion with the candidates on the said ticket. . A key thing of concern there is not the fact that El’rufai is tuning Nigeria to get divided along religious lines but that he it is deliberate and willfully intended and finds pleasure and justification in that. This is unhealthy for Nigeria.

Senate should note that Nasiru Ahmed El’rufai has proven to be unable to sustain loyalty and faithfulness to anyone or the nation in all the leadership roles that he has been trusted with, he clearly has no respect for the rule of law, any institution (including the National Assembly), anybody (including the President) as he respects only his ego and prioritise his interest above all.

Distinguish members of this great 10th Assembly, Nigerians holds you in great esteem, alot is expected of you to put right all that is wrong with our political system, Nigerians see you as the agents of a new positive beginning. For this we call on you to be critical in your screening of all nominees. But more particularly, we strongly advise against the endorsement of Nasiru El’rufai as a Minister of the Federal Republic.

Against these background we make the following prayers:

1. The 10th Senate must distinct herself as a senate that is concerned about the stability of these nation by ensuring that only leaders that are true patriots and has concern for the good of Nigeria get endorsed.

2. The National Assembly should ensure all Nominees before her are critically screened, paying keen interest to there past positions, track record as leaders and the activities that characterized their political history.

3. Keep to mind that Nigerians whose voice you are, are watching closely.

4. Ensure that divisive persons like Mallam Nasiru Ahmed El’rufai are never given a place in the next cabinet for the sake of the nation’s stability.

5. Prioritise the good of Nigeria over everything else in this screening process.

We are calling on the Senate to disqualify Mal. Nasiru El-Rufai nomination and should not be confirmed as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because he is unfit to serve Nigeria at this material time due to his track record of religious intolerance, extremism and disrespect for the rule of law.

Ignoring our call and that of other patriotic Nigerians who are after the unity, progress and development of our dear Nation Nigeria, will speak ill of the 10th Senate.
We most sincerely appreciate this opportunity to attend to our petition and reiterate our high hope in the 10th Assembly to be the agent of the New Nigeria that we so long looked to have.

Mr. President sir, thank you in anticipation of your swift actions.

God bless the 10th Assembly
God bless Nigeria.

Kind regards.

Shedrack Danladi
National president
Southern kaduna Youth and Students Forum. (SKYSFOM)