Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State Governor, has disclosed that prior to the 2023 presidential election, political leaders were aware of the controversy surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s academic records from Chicago University, yet they chose to support him.
Recall that in the build up to the 2023 general election, Mr Tinubu’s alleged fake Chicago certificate dominated political discourse.
The issue was also subjected to judicial scrutiny after the election.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, El-Rufai, who has been critical of the All Progressives Congress and Tinubu’s admininstration following his defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) last week, acknowledged that he and other political figures backed Tinubu despite the controversy, believing he could lead Nigeria properly.
He expressed regret despite the support, Mr Tinubu has failed woefully.
El-Rufai 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 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”.
Mr El-Rufai also appealed to prominent opposition leaders to join the SDP to salvage the country.
“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 added.
He also said, contrary to insinuations, he never betrayed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
While recalling the political disagreement between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Mr Abubakar, El-Rufai who was a former minister of FCT, said those who worked with Mr Obasanjo at the time believed he was right.
“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,” he added.
