Opposition mounts against Tanimu Yakubu’s membership of Buhari’s think-tank

Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi, former chief economic adviser to late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, is facing serious opposition over his imminent membership of the policy think-tank of Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Since TheCable reported that the economics graduate of Wagner College, New York, US, was tipped to head the economic policy directorate of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, the former head of state and senior APC chieftains have been inundated with calls by concerned Nigerians who kicked against Kurfi’s membership.

An APC official who spoke with TheCable said it is going to send the wrong signals if Kurfi plays any major role in the Buhari team.

“I am aware that many well-meaning Nigerians have been expressing worries over Yakubu. Buhari has not told any of us categorically that Yakubu is his choice to head the team. He is already aware of the possible repercussion,” the official said.

The head of the policy think-tank is expected to end up holding a major position in government if Buhari wins the presidential election next year.

Membership of the committee has not been officially announced but TheCable reported that two former commissioners in Lagos state, Wale Edun and Yemi Cardoso, have been nominated by Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos and national leader of APC.

It is also said that Rotimi Amaechi, the governor of Rivers state who is the director-general of the campaign organisation, is not aware of the nominations.

A commissioner from the state told TheCable that Amaechi has his own list of credible and knowledgeable Nigerians who can work with Buhari to produce an economic blueprint.

“His input will certainly be sought. He has his own candidates. The only fair conclusion is that the team is still being put together, but of course General Buhari will have the final say,” he said.

Kurfi, who is from Katsina state like Buhari and has been close to the retired major general for decades, is not in the good books of many because of his role in the Yar’Adua government.

Seen as the most powerful political appointee of Yar’Adua, he was held responsible for the stalling of many projects initiated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo allegedly because of personal interest.

He was said to have stalled the execution of power projects, Kano-Lagos rail modernisation and the renewal of oil mining licences of multinational oil companies.

Kurfi was also said to have shot down several bills on privatisation sent to Yar’Adua by the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE), and was even held responsible for the reversal of the sale of Warri and Kaduna refineries to a company owned by Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola.

In an American embassy cable leaked by whistle-blowing Wikileaks, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, former governor of the central bank, allegedly described Yakubu as a “terrible economist”.