By Eshiorameh Sebastian
Nigeria’s political space never fails to deliver its daily dose of drama, and Nasir el-Rufai, the ever voluble former governor of Kaduna, has once again strutted onto the stage with a fresh script. Among the nation’s political players, el-Rufai remains predictably contentious, a man who instinctively courts controversy even when unprovoked.
True to form, el-Rufai has never whispered when he could bellow, nor tiptoed when he might stamp. So when the former governor recently declared that his phantom coalition would retain Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, in their hypothetical cabinet should they succeed in sending President Tinubu “back to Lagos” in 2027, eyebrows didn’t merely arch – they threatened permanent relocation to hairlines. This curious endorsement has prompted speculation within APC ranks, with party members seeking to understand the ties linking el-Rufai and Bosun.
Among the ministers delivering measurable results in Tinubu’s administration, el-Rufai’s peculiar fixation on Tijani baffles observers. Not Wale Edun, the Finance Minister steadying Nigeria’s fragile economy. Not Nyesom Wike, transforming the Federal Capital Territory’s urban landscape. Not Dave Umahi, revolutionising national road infrastructure. Nor even Festus Keyamo, whose aviation reforms are delivering safer skies and modernised airports. And how he didn’t even made no mention of Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo’s impactful reforms, despite the ministry’s notable progress under his leadership.
Yet from this pool of performing ministers, it’s Tijani, whose stint has yet to demonstrate significant impact – whom el-Rufai bizarrely promotes. The Communications Ministry under Tijani has become notable chiefly for its absence of visible achievements. Beyond the initial controversy of his appointment (a former Tinubu critic turned cabinet member), the ministry has been as silent as a switched-off smartphone, no tangible policies, just occasional tech summits and enough press releases to repaper Aso Rock. Yet el-Rufai treats him like some indispensable technocrat.
This puzzling focus on arguably the cabinet’s least consequential member calls for investigation about the former governor’s underlying motives. If this purported coalition genuinely values effective governance, why spotlight an underperforming minister while ignoring proven achievers? This discrepancy either reveals startling misjudgement or hints at secret deals that APC should watch out for.
What exactly connects these two? Is Tijani some Trojan horse in Tinubu’s government? A sleeper agent awaiting activation? Or is el-Rufai simply playing political chess, pretending pawns are queens?
The real irony isn’t el-Rufai’s improbable ambition to unseat Tinubu – Nigerian politics has witnessed stranger developments. It’s that in a cabinet with some of the greatest minds, his prized catch is the minister even ministry staff struggle to describe. While others build roads, overhaul airports and dismantle bureaucratic obstacles, Tijani’s primary contribution appears to be giving el-Rufai a name to drop at tech conferences.
Perhaps this reveals more about el-Rufai’s coalition than intended – whispers that certain government figures might be undermining the administration from within. A movement promising change that can only identify one minister worth retaining – and that minister happens to be the one with the thinnest portfolio. It’s like launching a revolution while only recruiting the office photocopier attendant.
So, what is el-Rufai not saying about Bosun Tijani? Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. Or maybe, just maybe, he is simply talking to hear his own voice, willing to anoint a minister even his own supporters struggle to defend.
One certainty emerges: if this represents the opposition’s strongest play, Tinubu might comfortably begin planning his second term. When your greatest threat comes from a coalition determined to recruit your weakest performer, you are likely more secure than you imagined.
To be continued.
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