Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, has told the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, to return to the fold, noting that his public criticism of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is unnecessary.
The former governor, who is a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, was reported on Monday to have taken a swipe at his party, APC, accusing it of abandoning its founding principles and fostering poor leadership while addressing a national conference in Abuja on strengthening democracy in Nigeria.
He lamented the alleged lack of internal democracy and active party structures within the APC, saying, “I no longer recognise the APC. No party organ has met in two years—no caucus, no NEC, nothing. You don’t even know if it is a one-man show; it’s a zero-man show.”
Reacting to El-Rufai’s post, Bwala questioned the former governor’s stance, asking if he would have held the same position were he part of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.
“My Senior brother, if you were to be in the government and cabinet, would you have held and expressed the same position? History is replete with examples. It is a government you participated in its formation, that you now want to unseat. Haba Mallam, a Ji soron Allah mana,” Bwala wrote.
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In his response on Thursday, El-Rufai dismissed Bwala’s remarks in a post on X.com, stating that he had no interest in joining Tinubu’s government.
“I was a cabinet minister 22 years ago and made it clear to Asiwaju that I was not interested in any position in his future government.
“The manner in which you, latter-day converts to the Tinubu government, make an issue of something I never wanted in the first place reflects the level of your moral flexibility,” El-Rufai said.
The former governor insisted that his position on the APC and Tinubu’s administration would have remained the same, even if he had been part of the government.
Bwala replied moments later: “With respect, I am not a latter day Asiwaju supporter. We both played our roles in his emergence as candidate of the party ahead of 2023 elections.
“And before then, whilst you were from the CPC extraction of APC, I was from the ACN, which explains why I worked with Comrade Oshiomhole when he chaired the party amongst other things to protect the interest of Asiwaju whom at the time you people vowed to retire from politics.
“I still think you don’t need all these melodramatic activities or a vengeance mission.
“Come back and resolve whatever you think is your grievances like a dignified man that you are.
“Our party APC as of today remains the only organized party with identifiable structures across the country. So if you are looking for any symbol of democracy, it is still in your party. Please senior, come home; you have toiled all night.”
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