Nasir El-Rufai slams President Tinubu’s cabinet as lacking quality, calls it a national tragedy, and vows to help reverse Nigeria’s declining political trajectory
Former Kaduna State Governor and ex-FCT Minister Nasir El-Rufai has launched a scathing critique of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, declaring that the current federal cabinet lacks the competence needed to tackle Nigeria’s deepening problems.
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Appearing on The Morning Show aired on Arise News on Monday, El-Rufai expressed disappointment that Tinubu, once celebrated for a technocratic and inclusive style of leadership as Lagos State governor, had abandoned that model for what he called a bloated and underperforming team.
“Look at his cabinet—it’s a joke,” El-Rufai said. “It is the largest in Nigeria’s history, and maybe only five of them can be called real ministers.”
He compared the current administration unfavourably to the Obasanjo era, in which he served alongside respected figures such as Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Oby Ezekwesili.
“Who in this cabinet fits that profile?” he asked. “There is simply no quality. We brought a tragedy upon Nigeria.”
The former governor did not exempt himself from blame, admitting that his vocal support for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election was a grave misjudgement.
“I supported him because I believed in his Lagos legacy,” El-Rufai stated.
Look at his cabinet—it’s a joke… We brought a tragedy upon Nigeria.
“He was inclusive. He brought in professionals like Yemi Osinbajo and Wale Edun. He appointed Igbos and Hausas in key roles, and he got things done. But now… this?”
He added that his conscience would not allow him to remain silent as the country suffers under what he described as a disappointing administration.
“I feel like I owe Nigeria a duty to correct this mistake,” he said.
“I am 65 now, approaching retirement, but I cannot rest knowing that I helped bring in a government that is hurting Nigerians. If we leave this unchecked, Nigeria will be destroyed.”
El-Rufai also disclosed that he never had a personal bond with Tinubu, despite being in the same political camp.
He attributed their distant relationship to his loyalty to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“I was never close to Tinubu. In the party, I was a ‘Buhari boy.’ Tinubu had his boys,” he said.
“The person I connected with was Baba Bisi Akande. I served as his deputy national secretary. So Tinubu never liked me. But when he won the ticket, I set my personal feelings aside and worked hard to deliver Kaduna for him. That was my duty as a party man.”
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El-Rufai’s comments are the latest in a series of public criticisms targeting the performance and direction of the Tinubu administration as discontent grows across various sectors of Nigerian society.
