The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communications, Daniel Bwala, has responded to the recent comments made by former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, during an interview on Arise Television.
In the interview, El-Rufai accused President Tinubu of publicly asking him to join his administration as a cabinet minister, only to later rescind the offer.
El-Rufai also claimed that he had informed Tinubu from the outset that he would support him politically but would not seek any personal gains from doing so. Additionally, the former governor criticized the Tinubu administration, expressing dissatisfaction with its handling of Nigeria’s economic and security issues. He also suggested uncertainty regarding his support for Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
“The president begged me publicly to come and serve in his government; I had my plans and I told President Tinubu from day one when he asked me to support him, I said I would but I don’t want anything, because politics in Nigeria is always about what do I get for giving you support?” El-Rufai said, among other things.
Bwala swiftly dismissed El-Rufai’s allegations, calling them misleading and incoherent. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bwala referred to El-Rufai’s statements as “word salad,” describing them as disorganized and intended to distort the truth. He further emphasized that El-Rufai’s approach to politics centered on self-interest, cautioning that trusting his narrative could be perilous.
Bwala’s remarks come after similar criticism from National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and former Kaduna senator Shehu Sani, who also condemned El-Rufai’s comments following the interview.
“@elrufai Mallam El-Rufai’s interview on Arise news were full of word salad; jumbles of incoherent and disorganized statements and responses aimed at distorting the truth in other to re-shape history and patterns,” Bwala wrote.
“His philosophy is; if it is not about him, then everybody must be a victim of his ambition. Believe him at your own peril,” he added.
