BY JENNIFER EZIMAKOR

The lawmaker representing Borno South senatorial district in the National Assembly, Senator Ali Ndume, has said that the fallout between former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and President Bola Tinubu is a result of nemesis dealing with him (El-Rufai) for betraying former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi during the 2023 presidential electioneering campaign.

Ndume who made the assertion while appearing as a guest on Arise Television’s Prime Programme on Tuesday night, said El-Rufai’s betrayal of Amaechi and shifting his support to Tinubu clearly shows that he cannot be trusted and the rift between them is a result of the mistrust.

Among other things, Ndume who was the Director-General of the Rotimi Amaechi Presidential campaign, revealed that El-Rufai was in Amaechi’s camp but suddenly shifted his support to Tinubu prior to the primary election where Amaechi came second behind Tinubu, adding that this might be part of El-Rufai’s frustration with Tinubu.

“El-Rufai was supposed to be on our side but somehow, he moved over. And I think these are part of the things that are annoying or frustrating him,’ the senator said.

“He was on our side. Amaechi’s side. Before Tinubu was nominated, he made up his mind to support Tinubu, and Tinubu, as he rightly said, said that he should not leave and that he should come on board, join the government.

“So since then, I’ve not been that close El-Rufai because he abandoned our group. He was on our side but went to support Tinubu fully. You know, he really mobilized. He did a lot of things. Tinubu asked him to join the government but somehow, up till now, I don’t understand what happened (between) El-Rufai and Tinubu but that is not my business.

“But sometimes, I’ll say, ‘okay o, you did that to us, it’s payback to yourself’. But I cannot understand, I was the Chief Whip. El-Rufai came to the chamber for ministerial screening and we almost told him to take a bow and go…”