The Northern Patriots Forum (NoPF) has sharply criticized former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for his recent remarks about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration. El-Rufai had claimed during an interview on Arise Television that President Tinubu, along with National Security Adviser (NSA) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, was responsible for his failed ministerial nomination. He accused Tinubu of not wanting him in the cabinet and suggested that Ribadu’s personal ambition for 2031 played a role in undermining him.
In response, the Northern Patriots Forum, led by Coordinator Capt. Monday Ishakwu, issued a statement defending President Tinubu and condemning El-Rufai’s criticisms. The Forum argued that El-Rufai’s political standing had been weakened by his own governance failures during his eight years as Kaduna State Governor. They pointed out that Tinubu had nominated El-Rufai for a cabinet position and even reserved a lucrative portfolio for him, but multiple security reports allegedly disqualified El-Rufai from being part of the cabinet, citing his controversial past actions, including threatening European Union election observers in 2019.
The Forum further criticized El-Rufai for his negative remarks about Tinubu’s successes in the first two years of his presidency, suggesting that El-Rufai was driven by envy over the administration’s achievements. They also referred to El-Rufai’s past statements, including derogatory remarks about Christians and his perceived religious intolerance, which they claimed have contributed to his diminishing political relevance and his failed ministerial bid.
The Northern Patriots Forum’s statement emphasized that El-Rufai should take responsibility for his own decline in political influence rather than blaming others, and they warned him to be mindful of his future actions and comments.
