Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has disclosed that political leaders were aware of the controversy surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s academic records in Chicago before the 2023 presidential election but still supported his candidacy.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, El-Rufai stated that their decision was based on the belief that Tinubu would replicate his “achievements” in Lagos at the national level.
“What pains me is that the government we supported and had confidence in would do well because we saw what Tinubu did in Lagos despite his challenges,” he said. “We all knew about his issues in Chicago, but we thought if he could replicate his work in Lagos for Nigeria, let’s support him. However, he failed.”
El-Rufai, who has been vocal in his criticism of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Tinubu’s administration since defecting to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), admitted that he and other political figures backed Tinubu despite being aware of the controversy, believing he had the capacity to govern effectively.
The former governor also advocated for a political realignment, urging opposition leaders—including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, and ex-Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola—to unite under the SDP.
“What I want and pray for is for all opposition leaders—Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola—to join the SDP,” he stated.
Addressing allegations of betraying Atiku, El-Rufai defended his political choices, insisting that his decisions were based on performance rather than personal loyalty.
“I never betrayed Atiku Abubakar because we didn’t meet in politics; we met at work. If I see that he didn’t do well, whoever he is, I will tell him,” he said. “I told Buhari, and I even took Buhari to court on the new naira issue. When Obasanjo and Atiku had issues, those of us working with Obasanjo assessed the situation and concluded that Obasanjo was more right. It was not about north and south; Obasanjo was right. Atiku and I are now together, and if I betrayed him, why are we together now?”
El-Rufai’s remarks come amid growing dissatisfaction within the APC and speculation about political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections.
The controversy over Tinubu’s academic credentials resurfaced in 2023 when discrepancies emerged regarding his identity and certificate. The Chicago State University (CSU), in response to a legal deposition, stated that the diploma Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was not issued by the institution. However, CSU confirmed that Tinubu graduated from the university and provided a transcript of results purportedly belonging to him.
