Arewa Group Thanks Senate For ‘Stopping’ El-Rufai’s Ministerial Appointment

An Arewa Group, under the aegis of the Secure Nation Group, has expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Senate for not confirming the nomination of Malam Nasir El-Rufai for appointment as minister of the federal republic of Nigeria.

Naija News reports that the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State is among three ministerial nominees that were not confirmed by the Senate during the screening of the 48 man-list forwarded to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu days ago.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his colleagues had on Monday confirmed 45 out of the 48 ministerial nominees sent by President Tinubu.

While commenting on the three left out, Akpabio said the three nominees not confirmed would be subjected to further security checks. He urged those not confirmed to take their matter to the President.

Reacting to the development, which has generated a barrage of reactions, Secure Nation Group, in a statement signed on their behalf by Ahmed Lawal, Mabel B. Abraham, Mohammed S. Bashir, Kriss Allen and Godwin E. Emmanuel, accused the former governor of persecution.

It said: “In every democratic dispensation, all citizens must be free to follow their conscience in matters of religious faith, freedom of speech and association.

“Freedom of religion includes the right to worship alone or with others, in public or private, and to participate in religious observance, practice, and teaching without fear of persecution from government or other groups in society,” Vanguard quoted the Arewa group saying.