Stop behaving like a child crying over spilled milk – Presidency slams El-Rufai

In response to recent remarks made by Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, the Presidency has stated that El-Rufai is upset at being left out of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.

In response to El-Rufai’s comments, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, urged the former governor to put the incident behind him and quit being a “child crying over spilled milk.”

El-Rufai had claimed in an interview on Arise Television that President Tinubu personally rejected him for a ministerial position, despite his efforts to secure the role.

According to El-Rufai, it wasn’t the National Assembly that blocked his appointment, but rather Tinubu himself.

Onanuga, in his response, acknowledged that El-Rufai’s reaction was natural for someone who had hoped for a ministerial appointment but emphasised that it was time for the former governor to accept the decision and focus on moving forward.

In an interview with Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Onanuga said: “As a person, I think I will pity the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai. He feels hurt that he was not made a minister. I think it is time for him to move on.

“He can’t continue to behave like a child, as if somebody stole his bread and he is crying.

“It’s natural for him to feel hurt about being excluded, and the president acknowledged in his birthday message that Nasir helped a lot in installing Tinubu. If he’s not there, it doesn’t mean he should bring down the roof.

“The president has no animosity against Nasir. He naturally feels hurt that he has been excluded, so he goes about campaigning against the president and would not let go.

“He should forget about not being made a minister. He has been in public service since 1999; it’s time for him to move on.”

Paternity dispute: Court stops Police from tendering DNA test result against ex-minister

The Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) from tendering a DNA test result against Mr Kabiru Turaki, former Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs Minister.
Turaki is involved in a paternity dispute with a lady, Hadiza Baffa.
Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the order after M.L. Anthony, counsel for the the NPF, Inspector-General (I-G) of Police; and DCP Rita Oki Oyintare, who are 1st to 3rd respondents respectively, sought an adjournment to enable them comply with the earlier court order.
Turaki, through his lawyer, Abdulaziz Ibrahim, SAN, had told Justice Ekwo that the police was planning to present “the purported DNA test paternity result procured in violation of his fundamental human rights” in a criminal charge filed against him before an FCT Magistrate Court, Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Ekwo had, on Feb. 18, declined the application filed by the former minister, seeking to stop the police from presenting the DNA test result in the paternity dispute with Hadiza in another court.
The judge, in a ruling on an ex-parte motion, moved by Ibrahim, held that he could not grant the relief sought by the former minister without hearing from the respondents.
The judge therefore ordered Turaki to put all the respondents in the application on notice within two days of the order and directed the respondents to show cause in the next adjourned date why the prayers sought by the ex-minister should not be granted.
When the matter was called, Ibrahim, who appeared for Turaki, informed the court that the matter was for the respondents to show cause why his client’s prayers should not be granted.
The senior lawyer, however, told the court that the 1st to 3rd respondents had refused to comply with the court order to file affidavits to show cause.
He said instead, they filed a joint counter affidavit to their substantive application.
Ibrahim said Hadiza, who is the 4th respondent, filed an affidavit to show cause and a counter affidavit to their main suit.
“The court will recall that it is the conduct of the 1st to 3rd respondents that is being challenged by this application and they have refused to obey the court order,” he said.
“Hold your peace, let me do my work,” the judge told Ibrahim.
Justice Ekwo then asked Anthony what process he had filed and he responded that they filed a counter affidavit to the applicant’s motion.
The judge frowned at his response and Anthony, therefore, sought an adjournment to enable them do the needful.
Usman Chamo, who appeared for Hadiza, whose daughter’s paternity is being disputed by Turaki, confirmed that they had filed an affidavit to show cause and a counter affidavit to the originating motion.
“If not for the 1st to 3rd respondents, I would have taken this matter now and determine everything together.
“Look at what he has done as he has asked for adjournment,” the judge said.
Justice Ekwo, who granted Anthony’s application for adjournment, restrained all the respondents from taking any step which might affect Turaki’s prayers on the motion ex-parte.
“I also make an order that the respondents should not do anything contrary to the prayers on the motion ex-parte until further orders of this court,” he declared.
The judge equally ordered the police to file all necessary processes and for the applicant to respond before the next adjourned date.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter until Feb. 28 for hearing.
NAN reports that Turaki, in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/244/2025, had sued the NPF, I-G; DCP Rita Oki Oyintare, who is Deputy Commissioner of Police for Gender and Hadiza Musa Baffa as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.
In the motion dated Feb. 11 but filed Feb. 13, the ex-minister sought one relief.
He sought an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents from presenting, using, or relying on the purported DNA paternity test result procured from the DNA Labs Limited or any other DNA laboratory on Nov. 5, 2024, or any other date thereafter.
Giving a 13-ground argument why his application should be granted, Turaki said he instituted an action against Hadiza (4th respondent) vide suit No CV/35/2024 on June 24, 2024.
He said in the suit, he sought declaratory reliefs, including but not limited to a perpetual injunction restraining her from parading that she was married to him and that her child is from him.
He said that Hadiza caused several petitions to be written to the office of the 1st to 3rd respondents in connection with the subject matter in suit no CV/35/2024 and the petitions were consolidated upon application for consolidation by him vide the letter dated Sept.19, 2024.
The ex-minister alleged that on Nov. 5, 2024, he was invited by DCP Oyintare and he honoured the invitation .
He further alleged that upon honouring the invitation, Oyintare insisted that she must take a swab from him to conduct a DNA to prove the paternity of Hadiza’s daughter.
He said though he protested, he was detained at the Force Criminal Investigation Department’s cell at Area 10, Garki, Abuja for about 6 hours from 12 noon till 6pm, and at about 9pm, his “swab sample was collected by a purported scientist at the behest of the 3rd respondent,” before he was allowed to go home at about 10pm on that day.
Turaki said the purported DNA test paternity result procured in violation of his fundamental human rights was being planned to be used in a criminal charge filed against him before the Federal Capital Territory, Magistrate Court, Abuja.
“Unless this honourable court promptly intervenes, the respondents will rely on the said purported DNA test paternity result, the validity or otherwise being the subject matter of the instant suit,” he said.(NAN)(l

I’m not sure I would support President Tinubu for re-election- Ex Kaduna Governor El-Rufai

In a candid interview on ARISE TV’s ‘Prime Time’ on Monday, former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai revealed that he is uncertain whether he will support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

He also expressed doubts about his continued membership in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) by that time.

El-Rufai’s comments have sparked speculation about his political future and the direction of his relationship with the APC.

El-Rufai said: “I don’t know (if I will support Tinubu in 2027). I will evaluate the situation at the time, and I will consult widely.

“When I supported President Tinubu before the primaries, it was a decision that the leaders of APC took in Kaduna. Who do we support? We succeeded in ensuring that power goes to the south, and we know that all the northern candidates will go nowhere, Yahaya Bello, Ahmed Lawan.

“But among the southerners, who do we support, they know those that are my friends. Tinubu was not my friend. I was never close to him.

“But the consensus of the APC in Kaduna was that we should support Bola Tinubu because he is the one that is more likely to win. Politicians make these calculations.

“In 2027, I’m going to consult the same people. We are going to take the same decision, which candidate to support and in which party.”

Asked if he would support a Southern candidate in 2027, El-Rufai said: “Now I’m a private citizen. I’m not sure I would be in the APC 2027, so I cannot answer that question… Now in 2027, I will not be a governor, so I will not have the sort of clout that I had in 2023.”