Knocks as El-Rufai, Wike’s ‘I-will-not-be-a-minister’ Videos Resurface

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The old videos of a former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and his counterpart in Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai showing each of the ex-governors boasting that they would not be ministers resurfaced at the weekend and provoked the ire of social media users.

In the video Wike, who lost the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and supported President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to win the poll, boasted 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.

Despite the claim, Wike’s name appeared on the ministerial list sent to the National Assembly last Thursday by Tinubu for screening.
This led social media users to recycle the old video and criticise the former Rivers State governor for lobbying for a position that he boasted that they would not occupy.

On his part, El-Rufai whose name also appeared in the ministerial list, also said in an old video that it would not be fair for him to return as minister at his current age.

The former Kaduna State governor was the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) between 2003 and 2007 under the administration of former President Obasanjo.

Speaking in Hausa in an old video, El-Rufai insinuated that it would not be fair for him to occupy the ministerial position he had occupied at the age of 43 years.
 “You became a minister at 43 and after 20 years then you become a minister at 63? 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 43. Next year, I will clock 63. 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,” El-Rufai added.

Many Nigerians are however surprised that El-Rufai’s name appeared on the ministerial list despite his earlier claim that the position should be left for the younger generation.

Both Wike and El-Rufai have come under criticism since the old videos resurfaced online with many Nigerians saying that the behaviour of the two former governors was not only shameful and hypocritical but also an indication that Nigerian politicians do not mean what they say.