- Your Criticisms Driven By Vengeance– Presidency
- Latter-day Converts To Tinubu Lack Moral Flexibility -El-Rufai
By Kolawole Ojebisi
The last may not have been heard of the heated exchange between former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy, Daniel Bwala over the state of governance and opposition in Nigeria.
The debate which is happening on social media application X was initiated by el-Rufai’s remarks at a national conference in Abuja, where he described the current state of governance and opposition as a “national emergency.”
Reacting to the statement Bwala questioned el-Rufai’s motives, suggesting that his critique was rooted in personal grievances rather than patriotism.
“My senior brother, if you were in the government and cabinet, would you have held and expressed the same position? It is a government you participated in its formation, that you now want to unseat. Haba Mallam, a Ji soron Allah mana,” Bwala wrote.
El-Rufai, in a scathing reply, dismissed the notion that he sought a position in Tinubu’s administration, stating that he had made it clear to the president that he was uninterested in joining the government.
He accused Bwala and other supporters of the Tinubu administration of lacking moral flexibility.
“I was cabinet minister 22 years ago and was clear to Asiwaju that I was not interested in any position in his future government. The pathetic manner all of you latter-day converts to the Tinubu government make an issue of something I never wanted in the first place reflects your moral flexibility,” el-Rufai wrote.
El-Rufai emphasized his track record of speaking out against issues within the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party he helped found.
“If I had remained in the Tinubu government, I would say or do the same on the tragedy within a party I was a founder and the government that emerged from it… Go and check my public service record from 1998,” he added.
In response, Bwala acknowledged his respect for el-Rufai’s brilliance but questioned the motivations behind his recent criticisms, suggesting they were driven by a “need for vengeance.”
He further urged el-Rufai to resolve his grievances internally, rather than through public outbursts.
“My worry, however, is the motive behind your statements and actions; they are not borne out of patriotism, but a need for vengeance. The opposition sees that singular element of vengeance as a veritable tool for your recruitment,” Bwala posted.
Bwala also defended the APC, asserting it remains the “only organized party with identifiable structures across the country.”
He appealed to el-Rufai to return to the party and address his concerns in a dignified manner.
