Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has admitted that he and other political figures were aware of the controversy surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s academic records from Chicago State University before backing his 2023 presidential campaign.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC, El-Rufai explained that their support for Tinubu was based on confidence in his leadership, particularly his achievements as Lagos State governor.
“What saddens me is that we supported this government, believing it would perform well. We were aware of the Chicago issue, but we said if he could replicate what he did in Lagos, then he deserved our support,” El-Rufai stated.
His remarks follow his recent exit from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his official defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on March 10, 2025.
Since joining the SDP, El-Rufai has been rallying politicians to join the party, aiming to challenge the APC in the 2027 elections. He has held meetings with Pastor Tunde Bakare and former Tinubu ally, Rauf Aregbesola.
Additionally, he has reached out to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, inviting them to align with his new political movement.
Amid growing speculation that his defection is part of a strategy to contest the presidency in 2027, El-Rufai refuted the claims, insisting that such decisions rest with the party and the electorate.
“It is not my decision to make; it is up to the party and the people. Even when I contested for governor, it was others who convinced Muhammadu Buhari to ask me to run,” he said.