Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai - Political Career

Political Career

During the last days of the Obasanjo administration, the former EFCC Chairman described El-Rufai as the "de facto No. 2 official", tagging him with the role of a Vice-President, especially after the fall-out between the former President and his Vice-President. It is believed that Obasanjo's trust and confidence in El-Rufai angered a vast number of the political elite within the country. Indeed, it was widely believed that the former President was considering blessing EL-Rufai as his successor. However, it was believed the vast political powers against him were too much, probably as a result of the fear of what may happen to them once he was in power.

Many view El-Rufai as an incorruptible public servant who can get difficult jobs done, especially after he ordered the demolition of the house of the Chairman of the ruling party in Nigeria. However, since the end of the Obasanjo administration, El-Rufai has kept a very low profile, but still remains an Obasanjo loyalist having frequently defended the former President's policies.The administration of the President, Umaru Yar'adua appointed El-Rufai to the National Energy Council in September 2007, due to the belief that he could contribute positively to the under-achieving power sector of the country. Nasir resigned the appointment in June 2008, and on 30 April and 7 May 2008, El-Rufai appeared before the Nigerian's Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory to explain some exposed and corrupt actions of his administrattion. He attempted to justify his actions and stoutly rejected cynics views on the allegation that he allocated plots of land to his friends, brother and cronies, and it was clear that many of the Senators had lost properties during the restoration of Abuja by El-Rufai and were therefore just out to get their pound of flesh. To a vast amount of Nigerians, El-Rufai is simply being witched-hunted for stepping on the toes of the corrupt political elite within the country. This is largely because, unlike a number of aides to the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nasir El-Rufai has still not been accused of money laundering or any bribery scandal. The Yar'Adua Administration continued to investigate El-Rufai, and his compatriot Nuhu Ribadu, in order to smear them and satisfy the political elite braying for their blood. Due to President Yaradua's chronic ill health coupled with his absence from Nigeria for many weeks without Nigerians hearing a word from him or knowing what is really wrong with him speculations are that a power struggle has begun in Nigeria with President Obasanjo and his loyalists pushing for Yaradua to step down and hand over power to his Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan. President Yaradua's loyalists resisted this suggestion vehemently and it was reported that part of their response to this challenge was to implement yet another strategy to try to silence and intimidate President Obasanjo and his key loyalists like Nasir El-Rufai (former Minister of FCT), Femi Fani-Kayode(former Minister of Aviation), Nuhu Ribadu(former Chairman of the EFCC), Lawal Batagarawa(former Minister of Defence), Nenadi Usman(former Minister of Finance) and Andy Uba(former Special Assistant to President Obasanjo) by roping them into and implicating them in a phantom coup plot and with a view to eventually charging them and trying them for treason and encouraging military insurrection. This was the same method that was adopted by General Sani Abacha who had jailed Obasanjo on similar trumped up charges when he was in power. Obasanjo was released and pardoned a number of years later after Abacha died and after General Abdulsalami Abubakar took power.

According to Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EL-Rufai is wanted in order to account for almost $250 million during his tenure as minister. He has repeatedly refused to appear before the EFCC to answer the charges due to the fear of being frustrated and witch-hunted. Nevertheless, he has asked the Commission to ask his lawyers about any question they have. A number of Nigerian agree to this view considering the fact that the EFCC is viewed as incompetent and used as a tool to attack Nigerian's young bright minds. An example of this is the way the former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode was arrested. On 20 February 2009 an investigation by online journalist chidiopara.blogspot.com revealed that the indictment of El Rufai by the Nigerian Senate based on allegations that allocations of land in Abuja finalised by EL-Rufai between the 17 and 29 May 2007,were illegal, as, the Federal Executive Council,of which he was then a Minister, had been dissolved on 16 May 2007, were entirely false. Several authorities record that the Executive Council Meeting of the 16 February 2007 never discussed dissolution and in fact a subsequent FEC meeting on 23 May 2007 had resolved that all Ministers should stay on till the 29 May 2007.

Recently, Nasir published a widely circulating essay on Nigeria's President Umaru Yar'Adua titled "Umaru Yar'Adua – Great Expectations, Disappointing Outcomes" which for the first time revealed aspects of the president's life history, habits and statecraft, as well as the performance (or lack of it) of the administration. The essay has become a reference point for evaluating the Yar'Adua Administration. The essay has been serialised in several Nigerian newspapers and available on various new sites and blogs. Nasir EL-Rufa is a Muslim and has two wives, Hadiza and Asia. Hadiza El-Rufai, an architect and El-Rufai's best friend for over 30 years, served as the First Lady of the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) during EL-Rufai's four-year tenure as Minister.

EL-Rufai has had various nicknames throughout his period in politics and even before that, he's knowns as Giant by those close to him, a reference to his small size. He is also known as the Privitization Czar, and more recently as Mr. Demolition.