Affirm el-Rufai as a minister; his capabilities are primed ~ Doyen

Doyin Okupe, a former aide to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, has urged the Senate leadership to validate Nasir el-Rufai’s ministerial appointment.

Reports indicate that the Senate postponed el-Rufai’s ministerial confirmation due to security clearance concerns.

Among the 48 ministerial nominees submitted by President Bola Tinubu, the upper legislative chamber endorsed 45 on Monday after concluding their screening.

However, el-Rufai and two others, Stella Okotete (Delta) and Danladi Abubakar (Taraba), await Senate confirmation pending security clearance.

In a recent Twitter post, Okupe, a prominent figure in the opposition Labour Party (LP), expressed his perspective. He implied that the Senate might seek an assurance from the former Kaduna governor that he would refrain from discussing religious matters while in office.

Okupe stated, “The Nigerian Senate should reconsider its decision to exclude former Governor el-Rufai from the list of ministerial candidates.”

He continued, “While I am not a supporter of Mallam el-Rufai, whom I perceive as somewhat radical and who has shown traces of religious extremism in recent times, few can dispute his competence and significant potential for accomplishments. If the reports about his potential nomination for the Ministry of Power are accurate, we should not act against our own interests.”

Okupe highlighted, “Perhaps the Senate could ask him to commit, prior to his confirmation, that he will abstain from making religious comments during his tenure as minister.”

Concluding his thoughts, Okupe emphasized, “Given the crucial role of the power ministry in our economy and our determined fight against poverty, we should not disregard the significance of fixing our energy challenges, a task for which former Governor El Rufai is undeniably well-suited.”