Prominent socio-political activist Aisha Yesufu has alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu intentionally sidelined former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to humiliate him and render him politically irrelevant.

Yesufu made the claim in a post shared on her 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) account while reacting to ongoing discussions surrounding the certificate forgery scandal and the resignation of former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji.

According to her, the Department of State Services (DSS)’s reported security concerns against El-Rufai were merely an excuse, insisting that Tinubu could have ensured his confirmation as a minister if he had truly wanted him in his cabinet.

“Nasir El-Rufai’s case is that Tinubu wanted to humiliate him. DSS excuse was just that—an excuse. Even if the DSS had found him wanting, with the National Assembly deeply in Tinubu’s pocket, he could have commanded them to confirm him,” Yesufu wrote.

She argued that even after the Senate refused to confirm El-Rufai’s nomination, Tinubu still had alternative ways to include him in his administration but chose not to.

“Even after the National Assembly refused to confirm him, Tinubu could have offered him a role that didn’t require confirmation or made him a close ally, like Buhari’s nephew, Mamman Daura. He didn’t—he left him out in the cold,” she added.

The activist further suggested that El-Rufai’s only route back to political relevance might be through opposing Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

“Tinubu wants El-Rufai to be politically irrelevant, and El-Rufai needs to have Tinubu removed from office in 2027 to regain his political credibility. In all of it, na dem dem,” she concluded.