All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Joe Igbokwe, has raised a poser on former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, wondering if there is any minister more competent than the former governor in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

Igbokwe, believed to be the president’s ally, rose to the defence of the former Kaduna governor following the backlash that trailed his recent comment about the ruling party.

El-Rufai, whose ministerial nomination was allegedly blocked by his political opponents in the APC, had dalleged during the event attended by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, that the ruling party no longer practices internal democracy.

The comments didn’t go down well with some allies of the president, who launched a series of verbal attacks against him.

However, following the backlash, Igbokwe in a post on his Facebook page, underscored El-Rufai’s political relevance whom he said was responsible, together with other bigwigs, for Tinubu’s victory in 2023.

Igbokwe questioned why some people in the current government stopped El-Rufai’s appointment after he was reportedly nominated as minister of power.

He said: “All things considered, APC needs Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. He worked so hard for APC during the 2023 Presidential and Governorship Elections.

“I am a witness to how El- Rufai, former Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and one other governor went to stop the criminal Emefiele’s dubious money policy that was targeted at PBAT which nearly truncated PBAT victory. I also remember the excruciating efforts he put down to retain kaduna for APC.

“El-Rufai was nominated as a Minister and we allowed shenanigans and people without honour to come to hallowed chambers of the Senate to stop his nomination for reasons we do not know. If reality is to prevail, he was supposed to take a bow and just walk away”.

According to him, APC allowed the interlopers to walk away with their sadistic tendencies.

“Now let me ask this question: Of what meat are they fed? Who among all the Ministers in the Federal Cabinet is greater, smarter, bolder, more clever, proficient and deeper than Mallam El Rufai?

“Neglecting and ignoring our own scholars in the finest and best tradition is incomprehensible and totally unacceptable. May we never forget this stormy petrel with loads of capacity and capability. Malam El Rufai na man oooooo.

“For whatever reasons APC, must not ignore this great man. We cannot afford to lose him to the rival party. He is one of the strong characters we cannot afford to lose at a time like this. Case rested”, Igbokwe added.