Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has expressed deep regret over President Bola Tinubu’s governance failures, revealing that he and others supported his presidency despite being fully aware of his cocaine trafficking and certificate forgery scandals.
In a revealing interview with BBC Hausa, El-Rufai said he had high hopes for Tinubu’s presidency because of what the latter achieved in Lagos State but now feels disappointed by the way the government has turned out.
“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,” El-Rufai lamented.
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In a moment of unusual candor, El-Rufai acknowledged that he and others were fully aware of Tinubu’s past controversies, including his involvement in narcotics trafficking and his disputed academic credentials from Chicago State University (CSU).
“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,” El-Rufai admitted.
This statement has reignited public outrage, with many Nigerians accusing El-Rufai of hypocrisy and selfishness.
Tinubu’s Cocaine Trafficking Scandal Resurfaces
El-Rufai’s reference to Tinubu’s “Chicago issues” is an allusion to the 1993 cocaine trafficking case, in which the Nigerian president forfeited $460,000 to the U.S. government after being linked to drug cartel operations and money laundering.
The case resurfaced during the 2023 election campaign, with many questioning how a man with such a history could be allowed to run for the highest office in Nigeria. However, El-Rufai and other Tinubu allies fiercely defended him, dismissing the allegations as political attacks.
Now, with Tinubu’s administration facing economic hardship, insecurity, and dwindling public trust, some of his former supporters, like El-Rufai, are openly criticizing him—a move many see as opportunistic.
The Certificate Forgery Scandal
El-Rufai also referenced Tinubu’s controversial Chicago State University (CSU) certificate, which came under scrutiny when opposition leader Atiku Abubakar sought legal action to compel CSU to release Tinubu’s academic records.
When the university finally responded, it failed to authenticate the certificate Tinubu submitted to Nigeria’s electoral commission (INEC), raising serious doubts about its legitimacy.
Backlash: Nigerians Slam El-Rufai as Selfish and Opportunistic
However, Tinubu’s campaign dismissed the controversy, branding it a non-issue, while El-Rufai remained silent at the time. Now, his sudden outburst against Tinubu has led many Nigerians to question his sincerity and motives.
El-Rufai’s comments have sparked outrage among Nigerians, with many accusing him of being a self-serving politician who only speaks out when things don’t favor him.
Many believe his frustration stems not from Tinubu’s failures but from his own exclusion from the government. El-Rufai had been widely expected to be appointed as a minister, but Tinubu’s administration dropped his nomination at the last minute, reportedly due to concerns about his handling of religious and ethnic tensions in Kaduna State.
Nigerians have also reminded El-Rufai of his role in legitimizing Tinubu’s presidency, especially his appearance at Chatham House in 2022, where he, alongside other APC leaders, answered questions on Tinubu’s behalf—a move that was widely criticized as evidence that Tinubu was unfit to govern.
Social media users and political analysts have pointed out that El-Rufai’s sudden change of tone is hypocritical, considering his past support for controversial leaders. His critics have described him as a politician who only aligns himself with power for personal gain, rather than for the good of the country.
El-Rufai, a founding member of the All Progressive Congress, recently resigned from the ruling party and joined the Social Democratic Party. Some political analysts predict that he may be laying the groundwork for his own presidential ambitions, possibly in 2027, by turning against Tinubu early enough to rebuild his political relevance.