Nigerian politics is a perfect example of the saying, “the more you see, the less you understand.” It’s confusing, unpredictable, and filled with unimaginable situations. It’s like a pregnancy where even a scan cannot predict the child in the womb.
Take, for instance, the case of Former Gov Yahaya Bello (FGYB) and Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai in their dealings with President Tinubu today. Some believe that the current issues between FGYB and the administration under President Tinubu are either due to corruption, which President Tinubu wants to eradicate, or because FGYB contested against him in the primary elections, as many claim. Truthfully, you cannot dismiss those who say FGYB is facing these challenges because he didn’t step down for Tinubu during the primaries. If you look around today, none of the contestants who ran against Tinubu is in the party’s spotlight except those who stepped down for him.
But what about Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai, who publicly challenged northern elders to ensure the next president came from the South, contrary to the wishes of notable figures in his region? El-Rufai openly told the northern elders that there was a gentleman’s agreement between the North and South, meaning power could not remain in the North after Buhari’s eight years.
Fast forward to the primaries, when there was an unconfirmed announcement of Senator Ahmed Lawan as the consensus candidate, El-Rufai led a group of APC members to the Villa to ask Buhari if he had a candidate, which Buhari replied he did not. FGYB also insisted that a primary election must be held. After the primaries, FGYB donated his campaign office in Abuja to Tinubu, now the president, as a contribution.
Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai was the first among the APC leaders to propose the idea of a Muslim-Muslim ticket, which is one reason why some Christians still dislike him. As the election drew closer, and the Naira redesign and cashless policy severely impacted citizens to the point where opposition parties were using it to campaign against APC candidates, El-Rufai, FGYB, and Matawalle were at the forefront of challenging the policy in court, ensuring its halt to give Tinubu a better chance of winning. These individuals were labeled enemies of the previous administration during the campaign.
Despite all this, El-Rufai once stated at an event that he planned to leave Nigeria after his tenure to focus on his academic pursuits, implying that he wasn’t expecting a political appointment. However, Tinubu urged him to stay and work with the administration, going as far as to beg him. No one expected that even if FGYB might not be treated fairly due to contesting against Tinubu, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai would also be sidelined after Tinubu’s victory.
El-Rufai was nominated for a ministerial position, only to be disgraced by not being appointed. The person El-Rufai helped become the governor of Kaduna, along with state assembly members, is now accusing him of mismanaging funds during his administration. While the EFCC should be investigating these claims, they seem to have ignored them. El-Rufai took the case to court to clear his name, but the Federal High Court declined jurisdiction over the matter.
Meanwhile, both FGYB and Matawalle had past dealings with the EFCC, but the present EFCC chairman seems only interested in FGYB’s case, while Matawalle’s is ignored. Matawalle is the only person among them who was given a federal appointment. Despite his successor repeatedly alleging that he looted state funds during his tenure. Yet, Matawalle has not been called for questioning. In contrast, FGYB, whose successor and state assembly have vouched that state funds were properly used during his time, faces continuous challenges from the EFCC.
Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai and FGYB, once seen as key figures in the administration they worked hard to bring into power, are now treated as enemies. The person they took numerous political “bullets” for is now the one attacking them. The gentleman’s agreement El-Rufai fought to uphold now threatens to ruin his political career. The man for whom FGYB fought in court to secure victory—both in the Naira policy case and the election challenges—now seems determined to see FGYB handcuffed in court. The southern politicians El-Rufai supported against the Northern Elders Forum now label him as greedy.
There are some people who will never appreciate what you do for them. Even if you sacrifice yourself for their success, they will still find fault in the way you did it. In conclusion, never fully trust anyone in politics—most politicians are like green snakes hidden in green grass.
– Engr Ira Habib writes from Kogi state.
