“He oppressed us” – Kaduna Muslims beg Tinubu not to swear in El-Rufa’i as minister

Some Muslims in Kaduna state under the aegis of the Coalition of Quranic Memorisers and Reciters have urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to swear in former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai as minister.

Sheikh Sidi Aliyu Sise, the director of education at Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi Foundation, appealled to the president not to swear in unjust politicians.

According to him, the nomination of the former Kaduna governor and his screening by the National Assembly was “an injustice to Qur’anic memorisers and reciters”.

He alleged that El-rufa’i oppressed Almajirai under his leadership when he was a governor.

He appealed to Tinubu to govern the country with the eyes of justice.

Sheikh Sidi pleaded, “We demand for justice as a result of injustice, harassment, trauma, and difficulties encountered by our disciples, teachers and many Qur’anic scholars, when he evacuated our innocent pupils from the House of Maulana Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi in Kaduna to unknown destination.”

He said swearing in El-rufa’i as minister would mean that Tinubu is in support of the injustice they suffered while El-rufa’i was governor.

Meanwhile, the Senate on Monday finally concluded the screening of 45 of the 48 ministerial nominees of President Bola Tinubu, confirming them as cabinet members after a week of intense grilling for some and cursory introductions for others.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the nominations to a series of voice votes, of which all but three were approved.

The remaining nominees, including former Governor of Kaduna State Nasir El-Rufai, Stella Okotete (Delta State), and Abubakar Danladi (Taraba State), are said to still be undergoing security clearance.

The confirmation of others comes over a week after Tinubu’s transmission of a 28-member list to the red chamber on July 27.

Last Monday, the Senate screened former governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike; Abubakar Kyari of Borno State; Nkiruka Onyejeocha (Abia State); Bello Muhammad (Sokoto State); Sani Abubakar Danladi (Taraba State); and Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa State).

Others are Joseph Utsev (Benue State), Olubunmi Tunji Ojo (Ondo State), Betta Edu (Cross River State), Uju Kennedy Ohaneye (Anambra State), Abubakar Momoh (Edo State), John Enoh (Cross River State), Iman Suleiman Ibrahim (Nasarawa State), and Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi State).

The Senate on Tuesday screened ex-governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi); Wale Edun, Uche Nnaji, Stella Okotete, Adebayo Adelabu, Ekperikpe Ekpo, Hannatu Musawa, and Musa Dangiwa.

The following day, the red chamber screened Dele Alake, Lateef Fagbemi and Muhammad Idris, Ali Pate, and Doris Uzoka.

Tinubu went on to send a supplementary list of 19 nominees to the Senate last Wednesday. Two days later, the President withdrew the nomination of Maryam Shetty of Kano State from the list, replacing her with Festus Keyamo and Mariya Mahmoud.

On Friday, the Senate screened Zephaniah Jisalo, Shuaibu Audu, Yusuf Sununu, Bello Matawalle, Alkali Saidu, Ahmed Gwarzo, Atiku Bagudu, Simon Lalong, Ibrahim Gaidam, Aliu Abdullahi, Gboyega Oyetola, Heineken Lokpobiri and Tunji Alausa.

The screening continued at Senate on Saturday with Lola Ade-John, Bosun Tijani, Isiak Salako, Tahir Mamman, and Maigari Ahmadu.

The exercise concluded yesterday, Monday, August 7, 2023, with the screening of Mahmoud and then Keyamo.

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