Iyabo Awokoya, a development consultant, has queried the Department of State Security (DSS) for frustrating the ministerial clearance of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna state.
El-Rufai was one of three ministerial nominees not cleared by the Nigerian Senate recently.
The other two are Stella Okotete from Delta and Sani Danladi from Taraba state.
Awokoya, also a lawyer, stated that the DSS action against El-Rufai was at variance with the secret police’s efforts to apprehend bandits and terrorists causing havoc in Nigeria.
Her words:
”DSS that could not find internal terrorists like bandits, Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen, suddenly have security concerns with a governor who had been in power for eight years and did so excellently well.
”Were such security concerns not available for eight years? Akpabio then decided to go on recess. Hope the president himself wants himself to succeed. Hope so! Pray so!”
Awokoya’s concerns are in tandem with several other supporters of the former governor, who have expressed outrage over how he has been treated so far.
El-Rufai, 63, a former minister in charge of the Federal Capital Territory, had earlier declared that he was not interested in serving in President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Weeks after his declaration, President Tinubu publicly urged the former governor to join him in his government.
Tinubu specifically asked El-Rufai to shelve his plans to pursue his doctorate for now, noting that his government needs people like the former governor.
Meanwhile, a national newspaper reported that the former governor had left the country for Egypt after making his position clear to President Tinubu that he was no longer interested in being a minister.