You don’t have to dislike Mallam Nasir El-Rufai based on other people’s opinions. Instead, consider his track record as a public administrator and politician. One of his most notable traits is his consistency and predictability.
Therefore, I was not surprised when, in 2022, as the APC Governor of Kaduna State, he stood firm against the pressure surrounding his political benefactor, President Muhammadu Buhari. Against all odds in Northern Nigeria’s political landscape, he insisted that power must shift to the South. He rallied the Northern APC governors to agree that after eight years of a Buhari presidency, it was time for a Southern president.
Moreover, when it became clear that the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Naira redesign policy during the 2023 election campaigns aimed to diminish the prospects of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the then APC presidential candidate from Southern Nigeria, El-Rufai took action. He got Abdulkareem Mustapha, SAN, a distinguished lawyer, one of Nigeria’s finest and most brilliant to file a suit on behalf of Kaduna State at the Supreme Court. This suit successfully halted the detrimental Naira redesign policy, which caused untold hardship and even death for many Nigerians. President Tinubu benefited significantly from El-Rufai’s actions in these two instances.
The political machinations inside the Tinubu’s presidency, which attempted to undermine El-Rufai with a trivial ministerial nomination and the negative press that followed, is another story. One cannot entirely blame El-Rufai’s contemporaries for their intimidation in the face of his brilliance and political stature, leading them in desperate tactics to push him into political obscurity. But they it seem they have apparently failed.
What those who criticize El-Rufai fail to realise is that millions of patriotic Nigerians who aspire to a better future for the country view him as an innovative public administrator, a sagacious politician, and a leader with broad appeal across ethno-religious divides.
A federally controlled police force has proven ineffective in addressing Nigeria’s escalating insecurity. Even before his tenure as governor, El-Rufai strongly advocated for establishing a state police system in Nigeria. It is unreasonable to hold a governor accountable for issues beyond his control. It is extremely frustrating for a governor elected to protect his people, yet he lacks ownership and control over a police force and is criticised for the insecurity in his state. Such reasoning is not just insincere but also misleading.
Establishing a state police system in Nigeria would indeed politicise policing issues; a governor should win or lose an election based on how effectively he uses the police to ensure the safety of the state and its citizens. A politician advocating for state police in Nigeria at this time is sincere and genuinely committed to his responsibilities to providing peace, security and stable development.
El-Rufai ‘s call for resource control should resonate with leaders and citizens in Northern and Southern Nigeria who wish to optimise the benefits of natural resources to improve their people’s living standards. Consider the current waste of human resources in Northern Nigeria amidst its vast mineral deposits and arable lands. Leaders like Mallam El-Rufai, who recognise the transformative power of effective resource management to lift people out of poverty, understand that the key lies in Indigenous control of resources. Therefore, for advocating for resource control, El-Rufai should be seen as a genuine ally of the Niger Delta people.
The Kaduna Mallam has demonstrated that no one can derail his political journey, which is marked by an undeniable relevance. Not even Obasanjo, Atiku, Goodluck Buhari, or Tinubu can overlook him. Just as the famous Nigerian advertisement for the indestructible Volkswagen Beetle suggests, he is a figure that cannot be ignored and banished to political insignificance. Even the inconsistency within the APC has failed to undermine his steadfastness. Thus, it is not surprising that he ditched the party he once worked so hard and helped to build.
The world needs leaders who are not simply liked or disliked but those who are sincere, effective, capable, innovative, and driven by principled beliefs, making them predictable. El-Rufai embodies these qualities well. Nigeria stands to benefit greatly should he choose to lead.
*Frank Tietie, Esq.
Nigerian Lawyer, Social Commentator, and Media Personality writing from Abuja
