‘Why El-Rufai, Wike Met President Tinubu’

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday received in audience the immediate-past governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

The former governors met with the president at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with Wike arriving at the Villa at about 1.40 pm and El-Rufai entering at about 2 pm.

Recall that El-Rufai and Wike were among the 48 ministerial nominees sent to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

The Senate, however, confirmed 45 out of the 48 ministerial nominees, citing security checks as the reason for the refusal to confirm El-Rufai and two others.

According to The PUNCH, Wike and El-Rufai met with Tinubu to discuss the refusal of the Senate to confirm El-Rufai’s ministerial nomination by the President.

While there was no official communication on the reason for the visit, sources at the Presidential Villa hinted that it was connected to El-Rufai’s ministerial nomination.

One of the sources, a senior adviser to the President, said, “It (the visit) is over the issue with the Senate. The two of them are here to meet the President on the matter. I don’t know what the resolution is, but I’m sure that everything will be settled.”

Asked when El-Rufai would likely be confirmed by the Senate, the source said, “That I don’t know, but I’m sure everything will fall in line soon.”

Recall that the Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, who appeared on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, said the Red Chamber might reinvite the three ministerial nominees yet to be confirmed for fresh screening.

Meanwhile, reports have emerged claiming El-Rufai is reportedly set to reject the ministerial appointment from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to Peoples Gazette, El-Rufai will turn down the ministerial appointment even if his security clearance ultimately goes through for Senate confirmation.

Sources told the news platform that El-Rufai was angry by the hold on his senatorial screening and confirmation that appeared to cast a shadow on his security status as a prominent Nigerian politician.

One of the sources, who craved anonymity, said the former Kaduna governor believes that the Senate would eventually receive a green light from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and subsequently confirm him.

The source disclosed that El-Rufai has decided to wait until his confirmation before announcing his desire not to serve in the Bola Tinubu cabinet.