El-rufai was among the 48 people nominated for ministerial positions by Tinubu in 2023, but was rejected by the Senate on security grounds.
In an interview on Arise News Channel Monday night, El-rufai dismissed the reason cited for his rejection by the Senate.
“The President didn’t want me in his cabinet. The National Assembly has nothing to do with me,” El-rufai said in th Arise TV interview, the first with any media since he left office in 2023.