Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike have come under knocks for their past comments against their taking office as Ministers
Old videos have surfaced where El-Rufai said it is not fair for him to return as Minister at his current age when between 2003-2007 he was Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at age 43, under President Olusegun Obasanjo.
An old video showed Wike boasting he would not be a Minister under any dispensation
El-Rufai, in an old video of him discussing with some unidentified people in Hausa, dismissed any talk of him returning as Minister.
On Thursday, the names of Wike and El-Rufai were among the Ministerial list President Bola Ahmed Tinubu forwarded to the National Assembly for screening.
According to El-Rufai: “You became a minister at forty-three and after twenty years then you become a minister at sixty-three? What of your children and younger brothers? Will they not become ministers? Is the position meant for you alone? I don’t like this. Let go of this topic.
“Thank God I was lucky that I became Minister of Abuja when I was forty-three-old. Next year I will clock sixty-three. Then I will go back. So, nobody among my younger brothers and children is capable of becoming a minister? You fail when you fail to train those to succeed you. I have trained a lot of people who are capable of succeeding in many areas.”
Wike, who lost the Presidential bid and Vice Presidential slot under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the build-up to the general elections and later formed G5 composed of five State Governors and backed President Tinubu to win the poll, said in the video that he was not interested in becoming a minister.
“Only one person can be a minister from a state; I will not be a minister. I will not. I am not a liability; Rivers State is an asset. So if you don’t want to win an election, it’s your business. I’m not the one running the election. He who wears the shoes knows where it pinches him,” Wike had said in the video.
However, since their names appeared on the ministerial list, tweeps have knocked the former Governors for what they described as “double-standard.”
A user, Tunde Adeparusi, said Nigerian politicians sought public office for personal gains.
He said, “Shameless soul! It’s a clear proof that most Nigerian policians seek public office for personal gains. They don’t really care about the citizens.”
That Naija Guy said, “First Wike wanted to be the presidential candidate of PDP, he failed. He then went for the VP seat, then again he failed. Then he worked tirelessly to rig the presidential election for APC which he has criticised for 8 years. Now he has been rewarded for this criminality.”
Foreign05 said, “You shouldn’t talk or say a thing like that because you and i know that this is politics especially that of Nigeria,so there’s no cheap politician coz if you were in these guys shoe you’d do more than them,no pretends pls….
But rushbanana wrote: “He said he will not b a minister to @atiku cabinet not tinubu. Make una get am right. Una go cry die… he was not talking about tinubu government but atiku @GovWike carry go sir, b
No mind all these social media people wey no know anything. Coming online to talk rubbish all d to.”
“You will just post 20 seconds from an entire statement so you can say rubbish. I dare you to post the full statement make shame catch you,” another Twitter user, Familiar Spirit, wrote.
Onyic Foundation said Wike had finally agreed to be “a liability” contrary to his vow.
Hillary B Eji stated, “This is what Wike have reduced himself too… someone that picked presidential ticket now he’s happy for been a minister lol”
“Dino Melaye once said to Wike when you drink don’t talk, when you talk don’t drink, very nonsense greedy man… I can’t stop watching this video,” Ernesto Martins wrote.