Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai was conspicuously absent as his eldest son, Bello, tied the knot with his second wife, Aisha Habibu Shuaibu, on Saturday.
El-Rufai’s departure from the country came after he withdrew from the ministerial race, as reported by Daily Trust.
The previous week, the senate confirmed 45 out of 48 ministerial nominees put forth by President Bola Tinubu. However, El-Rufai and two others, Stella Okotete (Delta) and Danladi Abubakar (Taraba), were not confirmed due to pending security clearance.
Earlier, El-Rufai had met with President Bola Tinubu at the presidential villa in Abuja before traveling abroad, with sources indicating he was heading to Europe, with a stopover in Egypt.
Bello, who chairs the House of Representatives Committee on Banking Regulations, exchanged vows in a private Nikah ceremony with Aisha Shuaibu, daughter of former Military Administrator Col. Habibu Shuaibu of Plateau and Niger States, in Abuja.
Stepping in for El-Rufai, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna, for whom Bello once served as a legislative aide during his senatorial term, assumed the role of father of the day.
Hajia Hadiza Isma El-Rufai, the mother of the groom, was present despite the Hausa tradition dictating that the Wakili (representative) of the groom’s father receives the bride.
Governor Uba Sani expressed his delight at this role, sharing pictures of the event on his verified social media account with a caption that extended well wishes to the newlyweds.
