Still reeling from the loss of his high profile job, Nasir El-Rufai, the former FCT Minister described as “the number two man” in the old cabinet, has moved into one of the Vice President’s official Guest Houses  that he sold to himself in the sale of government non-essential houses. It is located along 12 Mambilla Street, off Aso Drive  in the high brow Asokoro district, a shouting distance from  Aso Rock.

After a hurriedly convened farewell party triggered by his loss of portfolio, the former Chairman of the FCDA has moved his family into Atiku’s  Guest House, after personally delivering a two day eviction notice to the startled care-taker of the guest house, four days to handover date. “This is going to be my personal house”, El-Rufai told the evicted old man.

The former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had showed interest in purchasing under the policy of selling off non-essential federal government houses. He accordingly applied for it, like any other Nigerian, as laid down by the Ad-hoc Committee on the Sale of Non-Essential Houses. The FCT Minister however delayed any decision on the application long after all other applicants have paid for and had taken possession of their Certificates of Occupancy. It was only last week that the decision to reject the application was communicated to representatives of Atiku Abubakar. The Vice President had earlier turned down an offer to purchase his official residence in Lagos.  

El-Rufai probably settled for the Guest House after the then President-elect Shehu Umar Yar’adua did not show enthusiasm about the planned sale of the official quarters of the Chairman of the FCDA. The former Minister had earlier granted a media interview in which he said he would divide the expansive Ministers quarters into three and rent out two parts. The Ministers’ quarters was conceived as a “Governor’s Villa”, commensurate to the status of the FCT Minister as a “state Governor” or Mayor.   

Additional possible motives for such a vindictive decision might not be unconnected with a personal ego trip, given the oft whispered desire of  Nasir El Rufai to be made Vice President from 2003 till the end of the Obasanjo tenure, in case any of the numerous schemes spun to throw out Atiku Abubakar had succeeded.