Politics

El-Rufai, Bwala trade words over APC, Tinubu government

The war of words between former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and presidential media aide, Daniel Bwala, intensified on Thursday as El-Rufai insisted he would have criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC) even if he were a minister in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.

Speaking at a national conference in Abuja on Monday, El-Rufai declared that he no longer recognized the APC, accusing it of becoming a “one-man show.” He also took a swipe at the country’s leadership, stating, “You cannot afford to have illiterates, semi-illiterates, and cunning people as your leaders. This is why we end up with the poor leadership we have today.”

In response, Bwala took to X (formerly Twitter), suggesting that El-Rufai’s criticisms were opportunistic. “If you were in the government, would you have expressed the same position? It is a government you helped form, and now you want to unseat. Haba, Mallam,” he wrote.

El-Rufai quickly fired back, insisting that he had never sought a role in Tinubu’s administration and would have spoken out regardless of his position. “I was a cabinet minister 22 years ago and was clear to Asiwaju that I was not interested in any position in his future government,” he wrote on X. He added that if he had been in the Tinubu government, he would have first voiced concerns privately before going public if no corrective measures were taken.

El-Rufai was nominated as a minister in August 2023, but his nomination was rejected by the Senate. Since then, he has distanced himself from APC activities and has not been seen at gatherings of party leaders or at Aso Villa, despite playing a key role in Tinubu’s presidential campaign.

The exchange between El-Rufai and Bwala underscores ongoing tensions within the APC as internal rifts continue to unfold.

 

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