News
Presidency to El-Rufai: Move on, you’ve wept enough *You mustn’t be Minister
It is time for Nasir El-Rufai to move on having sulked enough over the missed opportunity of not making it as Minister in the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu, the Presidency, has fired back at the former Governor of Kaduna State.
Less than 24 hours after El-Rufai, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), blamed the President over his rejection as a Minister by the Senate, saying instead of the claim by the lawmakers that he did not pass security scrutiny, Tinubu, was the architect of the entire drama, having obviously changed his mind on making him a Minister.
In fact, the former governor, alluded to how the President, who had earlier publicly urged him during his campaigns to shelve his planned further studies abroad to be part of his cabinet, further solidified the request by urging him at a private meeting to help him solve the intractable problem in the electricity sector, implying that he was slated to be the Minister of Power, only to “change his mind.”
But in a quick riposte, Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesman, who appeared on Sunrise Daily, a breakfast programme on Channels Television, on Tuesday, insisted that El-Rufai was still sulking over his missed opportunities of being a Tinubu Minister, urging him to move on.
Adding that he deserved pity, given the amount of work he did in bringing Tinubu to power in 2023, a gesture he said the President himself had acknowledged, Onanuga, however told his host that the former governor should not rue over the issue forever and should actually quit behaving like a child whose toy was taken away from him, crying to retrieve it.
Hear him: “Well, as a person, I will pity the former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai. He feels hurt that he was not made a Minister. I think it is a long time now, the Ministers came in August 2023. I think it is time for him to move on. You cannot continue to behave like a child as if somebody stole your bread and things like that. As if you’re crying over a spilled milk as we say.
“It’s natural for him to feel hurt. It’s natural for him to feel bad that he has been excluded. I think as the President acknowledged in his recent birthday tribute to him, Nasir actually helped a lot in installing President Tinubu and if he’s not there, it doesn’t mean that he must bring down the roof!
“Nasir feels hurt that he has been excluded and that is why he has been going around everywhere campaigning against the President and so on. It shows a man who is hurt about being left out of a moving train. But my advice to him as a brother and as a former governor is that he should forget it.
“If he is not made a Minister, he has been in public service since 1999. The hurt started from not being made a Minister. You can see what he has been saying. Even yesterday. In an interview with Arise TV, he made mention that it was the President that dropped him and this and that.”
The presidential spokesman also dismissed the former governor’s position that Tinubu’s government was not doing well, as his personal opinion as other indicators showed differently in the massive improvement in all the sectors of the national economy.
“I think that’s his own opinion. Whatever opinion he holds about the government is personal to him. For me, it doesn’t reflect the reality. This government inherited a lot of problems and if you look at the figures and whatever we’re witnessing, things are getting better.
“We’re certainly not where we were in 2023. This administration has done a lot things to re-engineer the economy and you’re seeing the figures. You’re seeing the positive figures. You’re seeing inflation coming down, you’re seeing foreign exchange reserve growing.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed the judgement of the federal high court in Abuja nullifying the timelines issued for the conduct of party primaries and the nomination of candidates.
Alex Izinyon SAN, leading a team of lawyers of the commission in a notice of appeal dated May 25, raised nine grounds it urged the appellate court to consider and vacate the judgment the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered on May 20.
Apart from raising the issue of jurisdiction, which it said the lower court did not determine, INEC also maintained that the legal action the Youth Party (YP) initiated against it was not only hypothetical but academic.
Arguing that failure of the trial court to make pronouncements on the issues, resulted in the denial of fair hearing to the Appellant, the commission also stressed the lower court misinterpreted the provisions of the electoral act.
It said: “The high court erred in law when it held that: ‘It is clear from the wordings of Sections 29(1), 82 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the following can be understood. Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 mandates Political Parties to submit the names of candidates in prescribed forms of the candidates who emerged from its valid primaries which such a political party intends to sponsor at the elections, not later than 120 days before the date of the General Election.
“What is required of Political Parties to do under the Electoral Act, 2026 is to notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 21 days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, or any conference or meeting convened for the election of its executive committees, other governing bodies for nominating candidates.
“The Defendant is not mandated to impose a timeframe for political parties to conduct their primaries provided that it will be done and submitted not later than the 120 days provided by the Electoral Act, 2026. See Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.”
It was another day of misery in Kwara State, when daredevil terrorists reportedly stormed Yashikira Community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, and as has been the case in many of the attacks, abducting scores of residents including women and children.
But, apparently to register their authority, the gunmen, who were said to have operated for hours without challenge from the security operatives, were said to have torched the palace of the Emir.
The attackers, which reportedly occurred late Sunday night were said to have announced their presence through heavy firing and after storming the palace of the monarch during the period, set it on fire before whisking away their victims, but a similar attempt at the police station in the community, was repelled.
While some of the residents, narrated how the spent hours without resistance, leaving behind destruction and fear in the border community, another account said the villagers were caught unawares as the gunmen invaded the town under the cover of darkness.
However operatives made up of the police and military personnel, were said to have launched a manhunt immediately for the immediate rescue of the victims, including throwing a cordon in the area as part of the mission.
“The suspect offered ₦500 million to the SPU commander in an attempt to make the team stand down and allow him to contact his associates to move the consignment elsewhere. The offer was rejected immediately and properly documented for further investigation.”
These were the exact words of Olohundare Jimoh Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), with which he detailed how operatives of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) scoffed at a N500million bribe to turn their eyes off the importation of a huge consignment of drugs imported into the country.
This was part of the details of a major breakthrough by the operatives after bursting a major drug trafficking syndicate in Lagos, which led to the seizure of suspected illicit drugs estimated at ₦7.8 billion and arresting several suspects, including the alleged kingpin.
In the operation, reportedly carried out by officers of the Special Protection Unit (SPU) in collaboration with divisional police detectives, the operatives, were said to have stormed a house in Mende, Maryland area of Lagos, following months of surveillance and intelligence gathering coordinated by the Zone 2 Headquarters.
The recovered drugs consisted of hundreds of bags of suspected Canadian Loud, allegedly stored in the residence of the prime suspect, Jimoh, said disclosing that the suspect was apprehended on May 19 after weeks of strategic monitoring by operatives.
Offering further details, he said the operation was executed with technical support and guidance from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, alongside coordinated efforts between the SPU and divisional police teams.
Jimoh revealed that during the operation, the suspect allegedly attempted to bribe the SPU commander with ₦500 million to compromise the mission and allow the movement of the drug consignment.
The AIG described the development as a reflection of the renewed professionalism and operational discipline being entrenched in the Force under the current policing strategy.
He noted that the success of the operation underscored the importance of deploying specialized police units alongside conventional divisional teams in tackling organized crime.
According to him, the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of rapid containment strategies, intelligence-led policing, and professional conduct among the operatives involved in the raid.
“Rapid containment was achieved as the Special Protection Unit worked with divisional teams to secure the perimeter and prevent escape or interference with evidence.
“The operation was intelligence-driven, following months of surveillance and technical monitoring before the raid was carried out.
“The immediate rejection and documentation of the bribe attempt also reflect the standard expected from redeployed personnel at the divisional level,” Jimoh added.
Reacting to the development, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, commended the operatives for their professionalism, saying the success of the operation validated the ongoing redeployment of personnel to divisions and units across Lagos and Ogun states.
The IGP noted: “Policing must be close to the people, and our specialized units must work side by side with divisional teams on the ground.
“The professionalism shown by the SPU commander in rejecting a ₦500 million bribe and following due procedure is the standard we expect. It shows that when you put your best foot forward at the grassroots, you get results and restore public trust.”
Disu further assured that the Force leadership would continue to reward integrity while holding officers accountable to the highest ethical standards.
Police authorities said exhibits recovered during the operation have been properly documented and will be tendered in court. The suspects are currently in custody while investigations continue to track down other members of the drug trafficking network.
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