El-Rufai made this revelation during an interview on Arise TV, where he expressed his thoughts on the matter.
“Forget what you read. The National Assembly did not reject me. President Bola Tinubu changed his mind about working with me,” he said.
El-Rufai also questioned the authenticity of the security report, asking if anyone had released it to the public.
“The security thing was a good excuse they used.
“Since then, has anyone released that report telling us the security issue?
“Look, I was minister 20 years ago. I don’t need to be in politics. I have a private life.
“Tinubu appealed to me and begged me. He threw me a challenge that no president has sorted out electricity problems. He said you and I can do it. it was the challenge that made me accept it.
“I had the opportunity to serve my country. The person that gave me took it back and that is not a problem.”
In a separate development, El-Rufai celebrated his 65th birthday and expressed gratitude to friends, associates, and well-wishers who acknowledged the occasion.
However, he also took a jab at his detractors, stating that some only acknowledged his birthday after President Tinubu’s message, implying that they were shamed into action.
In a statement posted on his X handle, El-Rufai thanked everyone who sent their prayers and best wishes, including those who were reluctant to do so initially.
“I want to thank everyone that sent me their prayers and best wishes, including those that didn’t want to until President Tinubu’s message shamed them into action.
“May the Almighty God accept our prayers and continue to shower his blessings on us and our people.”
Expressing his appreciation, he stated, “It has been about a week since many friends, associates and admirers sent me various messages and prayers in commemoration of my 65th birthday.
“The prayers and good wishes were quite humbling and gratifying, but far too many and overwhelming for individual acknowledgement or response by me, hence this message.”
He also acknowledged the overwhelming number of messages he received, apologizing for any unintentional omissions in his responses. El-Rufai concluded his statement with prayers for continued health, happiness, and prosperity for himself and the nation.
