A former Senator for Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani has mocked his political foe, Nasir El-Rufai, whom the Senate declined to clear as a minister.
Sani spoke in a tweet on Tuesday.
The Senate has confirmed 45 of the 48 ministerial nominees presented by President Bola Tinubu, leaving out El-Rufai; former Deputy Governor of Taraba State, Senator Abubakar Danladi; and Stella Okotete, from Delta State. The trio had petitions against their nominations.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said the Senate did not clear them because of security reports that must be cleared.
Sani, who did not name El-Rufai, said, “The Unconfirmed Ministerial nominee; The Imp who was intoxicated with power, and who arrogantly played God is now at the mercy of those wielding power. A religious extremist with a fanatical political agenda should have no place in the seat of power if that nation desires peace.”
See tweet:
The Unconfirmed Ministerial nominee;The Imp who was intoxicated with power,and who arrogantly played God is now at the mercy of those wielding power.A religious extremist with a fanatical political agenda should have no place in the seat of power if that nation desires peace.
— Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) August 8, 2023
Meanwhile, the Coalition of Quranic Memorisers and Reciters has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to swear in El-Rufai as a minister.
According to Daily Trust, the Director of Education Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi Foundation who addressed journalists in Bauchi on behalf of the clerics, Sheikh Sidi Aliyu Sise, asked Tinubu to tread with caution and not to swear in unjust politicians with questionable character.
He noted that the nomination of El-Rufai and his screening by the National Assembly was injustice to Qur’anic memorisers and reciters.
“Now the ball is in the court of Mr President, as Nigerian leader, he should look in to the country with the eyes of Justice, he should look in to the plight of the oppressed, not to succumb to pressure to swear in El-rufa’i a man who oppressed Almajirai under his leadership when he was a governor.
“We demand for justice as a result of injustice, harassment, trauma, and difficulties encountered by our disciples, teachers and many Qur’anic Scholars, when he evacuated our innocent pupils from the House of Maulana Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi in Kaduna to unknown destination,
“We want to know our offence, that is why we demand for justice from the federal Government because swearing in Elr-ufa’i as minister, we will take it that you are in support of the injustice we suffered in his hand when he was a Governor of Kaduna.
“Now that El-Rufa’i is out of office, we demand for justice rather than for the government to contemplate making him a minister. Any government that prides itself on carrying all along with justice and fairness should not be seen to patronise the likes of the former governor of Kaduna State. We hope that President Tinubu will come out clean on the El-Rufai issue, by ensuring justice to the people he oppressed when he was a Governor, at that time he had immunity and we don’t want to heat the tension in the interest of peace considering the large followers of Maulana Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi.”