Tinubu failed to replicate what he did in Lagos — El-Rufai

Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna, has publicly expressed his disappointment with President Bola Tinubu’s performance, stating that he failed to replicate his achievements as governor of Lagos at the national level.

In an interview with BBC Hausa, El-Rufai acknowledged that he and other political leaders were aware of Tinubu’s past controversies, including allegations of certificate forgery and involvement in cocaine trafficking in Chicago. Despite this, they supported him, hoping he would lead Nigeria effectively.

El-Rufai admitted that Tinubu’s failure to deliver has been disappointing despite supporting him in 2023.

“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.

“We all know 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,” he stated.

The former governor also addressed claims that he betrayed Atiku Abubakar, stating that their relationship began in a work context, and he would always speak out if he saw someone not performing well. El-Rufai cited examples of his criticism of former President Buhari and his court case against the new naira policy.

El-Rufai’s comments come amid speculation about a potential political realignment ahead of the 2027 elections.

He has called for opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, to join forces under the Social Democratic Party (SDP).