El-Rufai tackles Tinubu again, says ‘I supported him despite knowledge of his Chicago issues’

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has revealed why he feels particularly betrayed by President Bola Tinubu.

According to El-Rufai in an interview with BBC Hausa monitored by our reporter, he said despite knowing Tinubu’s Chicago issues, he supported him in the 2023 presidential election because he thought he would replicate in Nigeria what he did in Lagos.

The reference to Chicago is linked to the certificate and drug-related controversies of the President when he was in the United States.

He said: “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 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 also revealed plans to enlist other notable political opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-governors Peter Obi, Rauf Aregbesola, Rotimi Amaechi among others into the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

He said: “What I want and pray for is for all opposition leaders—Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola—to join the SDP.”

Asked about his past criticism of Atiku, he replied: “I never betrayed Atiku Abubakar because we didn’t meet in politics; we met at work. In work, if I see that he didn’t do well, whoever he is, I will tell him. I told Buhari, and I even took Buhari to court on the new naira issue.

“When Obasanjo and Atiku were having issues, those of us working with Obasanjo looked at the issues between them and said 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,” Elrufai said.