More Pressure Mounts Tinubu Over El-Rufai’s Ministerial Replacement

More pressure has mounted on President Bola Tinubu over who to replace former governor, Nasir El-Rufai for ministerial nominee.

A former Chairman of the All Progressive Congress Caucus in Kaduna State, Alh. Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to replace former governor, Nasir El-Rufai with a ministerial nominee from Kaduna Central or Kaduna South for inclusiveness.

He stated this in an open letter to Tinubu obtained by The PUNCH on Sunday.

Ramalan appealed that the ministerial position should go to Zone 2 or Zone 3 where persons and politicians of high caliber are well placed to take such a position in view that both El-Rufai and Governor Uba Sani are from Zone 1.

Tijjani who is the Chairman of Liberty Radio and Television called on President Tinubu to look critically into the sharing of political positions in Kaduna State, noting the over-concentration of political offices in one zone is not auguring well for the APC in the State.

“Before 2015 when the APC took Kaduna State by storm from the PDP which had held sway for 16 years, there had been equity in sharing the spoils accruing according to understanding by Politicians and other stakeholders in the state.

“Based on the gentleman agreement, when the office of the Governor goes to one 1, naturally the deputy governorship position should go to the 2nd or 3rd Senatorial zones.

“For a delicate balance, the Ministerial position usually went to the remaining Senatorial zone to achieve inclusiveness and complete representation in the state. That means all the 3 Senatorial zones were fully represented at both the state and the Federation.

“The records have it that both El-Rufai and HE Uba Sani are from Zone 1 but have conveniently registered in Zone 2 for obvious political expedience only,” Ramalan disclosed.

He said: “After failing to make the Ministerial list, it is said that he or the governor has forwarded the name of a certain Jaafaru Sani from Kubau LGA which is still in zone 1 as a possible replacement. This is the same zone that birthed the present Governor and the said kith and kins of Elrufai.

“Given that the politics of the APC in Kaduna State is not only about El-Rufai or anyone else but the entire members o the party and the People in the State.

“The political isolation of Zone 3 has not in any way helped the fortunes of the APC and Peaceful Co-Existence in Kaduna, decried that the people of Kaduna State had a raw deal from the anti-people and impoverishment policies of the El Rufai style of Totalitarian and Destructive leadership.

“We earnestly are by this letter appealing to Your Excellency, the APC National Chairman to act swiftly to ensure that the concerns of the APC followership act promptly to allay the fears of the people of Kaduna State and the Unity of APC in Kaduna State.”