Newscenter Media News President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has urged former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, to meet with the president to address his issues rather than complaining in the public space.
Bwala said El-Rufai was merely expressing grievances and not opposing Tinubu while still being a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
El-Rufai recently stirred controversy by declaring that he no longer recognizes the APC, citing a lack of internal democracy within the party.
The former governor revealed that all organs of the APC had not convened in the past two years.
On Monday, El-Rufai also accused some staunch supporters of Tinubu of betrayal, alleging that he had stood firm to ensure the APC shifted its presidential ticket to the South.
However, Bwala described El-Rufai as a man of value who should not resort to public grandstanding or align with opposition forces over his grievances.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Bwala said:
“El-Rufai has said he has not left the party, so since he is in the party, I think he is not playing opposition—he is probably complaining, and the facts are there in the public domain.
“By the way, El-Rufai and I have a good relationship. I remember when I started my Ph.D., I knew he was also pursuing a Ph.D. I asked him if he could join me at my school in the UK, but he declined—we had that good relationship.
“I see him as somebody with value. We all know what may have happened in the past that made him feel displeased, but I believe the best way to handle the situation is not through grandstanding or aligning with the opposition.
“We want a vibrant opposition, but it is not the duty of the governing party to build the opposition—that is the responsibility of the opposition and, probably, the press.
“Most of what El-Rufai has been saying, I do not consider as part of opposition politics because he is not in the opposition. That’s the difference between when I criticized the president and when you are within the party and fighting.
“I do not agree with him because, during his time as governor under Buhari, people raised similar concerns, and he dismissed them. My thinking is that his current stance is part of his story of frustration.
“And because he is a stakeholder and someone I consider very valuable, my suggestion is for him to meet the president, sit down with him, and discuss these issues privately to resolve them.”
APC: Meet Tinubu, deal with your issues – Bwala challenges El-Rufai