A former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has alleged that ministerial appointments in President Bola Tinubu’s administration were secured with cash payments.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, El-Rufai dismissed claims that he left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as a result of being denied a ministerial position.

“But did I even look for the ministerial position? I know those who even paid money to be appointed as ministers.

“Yes, I was at the screening because the President begged me. It was in the public glare, not just between the two of us, for him to say he had never begged me.

“It was in Kaduna where he begged me to come and work with him. Even then, I did not agree until we sat down and he told me what he wanted. That the problem of electricity had hindered the country’s progress. He said he would like to be the President that would finally resolve the power problem and begged me to come and help him achieve that.

“I told him that I would look at the challenge he gave me and would consider working with him. I thought he meant it,” El-Rufai added.

He revealed that some individuals paid for their appointments, insisting he was not interested in the role despite Tinubu’s personal appeal.

El-Rufai further criticised the APC, stating that the party had abandoned its founding principles and become driven by self-interest and financial gain.

He claimed governance has been commercialized, adding that those who worked for the party were sidelined in favour of cronies.

He also disclosed that he informed former President Muhammadu Buhari before leaving the APC, seeking his blessing and support.

According to El-Rufai, the APC had strayed from its original vision, prompting him to sever ties with the party.

He said: “The APC has derailed; the party is no longer abiding by its founding principles. Everyone is working for themselves, looking for money. The government is commercialized; everything has a price tag.

“Justice has been kept at bay; those who worked for the party were ignored instead of being compensated. If there is any position or appointment, they give it to a Lagos boy, etc.

“That is why we’ve been speaking. We said this is not the party we know. The party is dead. I said the only option is for me to meet Pastor Tunde Bakare because he dragged me into APC. He took me to Buhari. I did not join the APC because of Buhari; it was Pastor Bakare who brought me into APC, and courtesy demands I should let him know.”

“Buhari too, I told him I was leaving the party. I sought his blessings and prayers. He said he has given me his blessings and prayers. We are the ones in politics, while he (Buhari) is now the father of the land and has been praying for us, so what remains?

“I’ve publicly denounced my membership of the party. They can go and hold on to the party; they can eat the party alone like food. We’ve given up.”

Asked if he decided to leave the party to avoid being expelled, El-Rufai said it would have been much better for him to be expelled from the APC.

“That would’ve been much easier for me, but look at it, as I kept on saying, I did not leave the party; it’s the party that dumped me. Why did it leave me? First of all, I was marginalized, not involved in all party activities. Not that I was invited and refused to honor the invite – I was completely sidelined.

“Secondly, what we had planned to implement when we formed the government is not what’s being implemented,” he further alleged.