Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has stated unequivocally that Bola Tinubu has indeed faced challenges regarding his Chicago University certificates. However, he emphasized that he never betrayed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ex-presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
El-Rufai shared these insights while expressing a desire for prominent opposition figures, including Atiku, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, former Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola, to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Speaking with BBC Hausa Service, El-Rufai remarked, “What pains me is that the government we supported, which we believed would perform well, has not lived up to expectations. We witnessed Tinubu’s accomplishments in Lagos despite his challenges, and we hoped he would replicate that success on a national level. Unfortunately, he has failed.”
He continued, “I have never betrayed Atiku Abubakar; our paths crossed in the workplace, not in politics. If I see that someone is not performing well, I will speak out, regardless of who they are. I did the same with Buhari, even taking him to court over the new naira issue.”
Reflecting on the past, El-Rufai noted, “When Obasanjo and Atiku had their disagreements, those of us working with Obasanjo believed he was more correct. It was not a matter of north versus south; Obasanjo was right. Atiku and I are now united, so if I had betrayed him, why would we be together now?”
El-Rufai concluded with a call to action: “My hope is for all opposition leaders—Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola—to join the SDP.”
