President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, on his 65th birthday, highlighting his crucial role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the party’s successive electoral victories.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu praised El-Rufai as a distinguished administrator, scholar, and politician whose resourcefulness and brilliance have left a significant mark on Nigeria’s political landscape.
The President commended El-Rufai’s contributions to democratic governance, recalling his efforts in shaping the APC and ensuring its triumph in the 2015, 2019, and 2023 general elections.
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“The President acknowledges Mallam El-Rufai’s role in the dialogues leading up to the formation of the APC and his contributions to the success of the party in the three consecutive elections of 2015, 2019, and 2023,” the statement issued on Sunday read.
El-Rufai, a founding member of the APC, was instrumental in the party’s merger process, which brought together opposition forces to end the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) 16-year rule in 2015.
As a key strategist, he played a pivotal role in the party’s policy development and electoral campaigns.
Beyond politics, Tinubu lauded El-Rufai’s public service record, from his tenure as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) between 2003 and 2007 to his eight-year leadership of Kaduna State, where he pursued governance reforms and infrastructural development.
The President also commended El-Rufai’s mentorship of the younger generation and his dedication to national progress.