Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has revealed that he and other political figures were aware of the controversy surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s academic records at Chicago State University but still supported him in the 2023 elections due to his perceived governance strength.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, el-Rufai stated that despite concerns over Tinubu’s educational background, they backed his candidacy based on his performance as Lagos State governor and the hope that he would replicate similar success at the national level.
“What pains me is that the government we supported, and had confidence in, has not met expectations. We knew about his Chicago issue, but we believed if he could govern Nigeria the way he did Lagos, we would support him,” he said.
El-Rufai, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), also reiterated his disappointment with the Tinubu administration, especially following his ministerial rejection by the Senate.
He has since extended an invitation to opposition figures Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi to join the SDP ahead of 2027.
Addressing speculations about his own presidential ambition, the former governor maintained that the decision would be left to the party and the people, distancing himself from making a definitive declaration.
“It is not for me to decide; the party and the people will decide,” he said.
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