Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has criticized the Tinubu-led administration, claiming that certain individuals are being paid to defend its actions.

El-Rufai made the remarks in response to a post by Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, who had criticized him for his public comments on the APC government.

Speaking at a national conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, El-Rufai described the state of governance and opposition in the country as a “national emergency” and accused the APC of lacking internal democracy, saying he no longer recognized the party.

Bwala reacted to El-Rufai’s stance, questioning whether he would have made the same statements if he had been included in Tinubu’s government.

In a counterstatement, El-Rufai dismissed Bwala as a “latter-day convert” to the Tinubu administration, reiterating that he had personally informed President Tinubu that he was not interested in serving in his government.

“I was a cabinet minister 22 years ago, and Asiwaju knew I wasn’t interested in any position in his future government. The way you and others twist this into an issue reflects your moral flexibility.”

El-Rufai insisted that he would have voiced the same concerns if he were in government, first in private, then publicly if no action was taken.

Taking a swipe at Tinubu’s supporters, he claimed that some individuals receive “humongous monthly stipends” from security votes to defend the government online.

“These clowns are political mercenaries who rush to justify everything the government does or fails to do, no matter how indefensible.”

El-Rufai concluded by advising Bwala to prioritize “allegiance to God and country” over loyalty to any individual.

The former FCT Minister was nominated as a minister by President Tinubu in 2023, but the Senate withheld his confirmation due to petitions filed by party opponents.