President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has stated that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is still hurting over his exclusion from Tinubu’s ministerial appointments.
El-Rufai was initially nominated as a minister when Tinubu was forming his cabinet but was eventually screened out by the Senate. Since then, he has become increasingly critical of the Tinubu administration and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a recent interview, El-Rufai claimed that it was not the Senate that rejected his nomination but President Tinubu himself. However, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Onanuga urged the former governor to move on, despite his contributions to Tinubu’s election victory.
“I feel for former Kaduna State governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. He feels hurt that he was not made a minister, but I think it’s time for him to move on,” Onanuga said.
“You cannot continue to behave like a child who feels someone has stolen his bread. It’s time to stop crying over spilt milk.”
While acknowledging that El-Rufai has every right to feel aggrieved, given his role in Tinubu’s emergence as president, Onanuga emphasized that the president has never downplayed his contributions.
“It’s natural for him to feel bad about being left out, but the president has already acknowledged his efforts in a recent tribute. If he’s not in the cabinet, that doesn’t mean he should try to bring down the roof,” he added.
Onanuga insisted that Tinubu holds no grudges against El-Rufai but noted that the former governor has taken to publicly campaigning against the administration out of resentment.
He urged El-Rufai to move on, reminding him that he has been in public service since 1999. “It’s time for him to let go,” Onanuga concluded.
