Protest Hits NASS Over El-Rufai Ministerial Nomination

A group of protesters have stormed the National Assembly in Abuja to bar the confirmation of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai as minister.

The protesters, under the aegis of Secure Nation Group (SNG) on Monday, told lawmakers not to confirm El-Rufai.

The group said they were surprised the former governor’s name came up as a ministerial nominee despite his religious biases, adding that it was dangerous to the country’s unity.

Naija News gathered the protestors, who were reported to have been holding placards and chanting songs, defied the presence of security operatives who barricaded the NASA main gate.

The group convener, Ahmad Lawal, said the former governor ordered Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KASUPDA) to demolish private buildings, schools, and hospitals in the state and rendered hundreds of residents homeless.

Lawal called on President Bola Tinubu-led government to investigate and prosecute El-Rufai over genocidal attacks on predominantly Shia Muslim communities in Kaduna State.

He asserted that it is on record that many Nigerians have demanded the investigation and prosecution of the former governor, even at the International Criminal Court (ICC), over the genocidal murder of many Nigerians and the destruction of properties in the state.

He stated that “On several occasions, Nasir El-Rufai was caught in an open propagation of radical ideas of a terrorist agenda.

“Surely, the nomination of this ex-governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, among the ministerial nominees by President Bola Tinubu, is a disaster to Nigeria. Nigerians haven’t forgotten the atrocities he committed when he was Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises and as FCT Minister.

“A man who clears grasses in a single street in Abuja, measuring about 5 kilometers using N2.1 billion, is certainly not a sincere character to national development.

“As the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), about 800,000 residents were evicted from their homes due to demolition exercises ordered by el-Rufai between 2003 and 2007.

“We still do not forget how he revoked land and rewarded the same to his family members and claimed defensively that they were Nigerians too.

“Nasir El-Rufai flagrantly disobeyed Part 1 of the Fifth Schedule of the Code of Conduct provisions of the Constitution, which says that; A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities.

“In 2021, hundreds of houses were demolished in Zaria as the Kaduna State authorities began a major demolition exercise.

“Another group of people affected by the last-minute demolition exercise are residents of the Gbagyi village community in Kaduna.

“Reports show that protesting youths seeking to resist the demolition were shot at by security agencies attached to the demolition team, with many sustaining injuries, around 8 dead.

“One resident of Gbagyi village, identified as Sarah, reportedly slumped and died upon hearing of the demolition. El-Rufai had attempted to demolish the Gbagyi Village in the past, though he was restricted by a court order.

“Following the court judgment in favour of the Gbagyi Village community, El-Rufai asked us to fill a form for regularization at the cost of N20,000, and the majority had done that.”