El-Rufai: We supported Tinubu despite Chicago university’s controversy
Malam Nasir El-Rufai has revealed that he and other politicians were aware of the controversies surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s academic records from Chicago State University when they supported his presidential bid in 2023.
In an interview with BBC, the former Governor of Kaduna State admitted that despite the knowledge of the controversy, they backed Tinubu because they believed he could replicate his successes as Lagos State governor at the national level.
El-Rufai expressed that, despite their awareness of the issues, they were confident that Tinubu’s governance style in Lagos could bring similar success to the country.
El-Rufai, who had previously criticized Tinubu’s administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), officially left the party on March 10, 2025, joining the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Since his defection, El-Rufai has been actively trying to convince other politicians to join the SDP, with the aim of challenging the APC’s hold on power in the 2027 elections.
In his pursuit of political influence, El-Rufai recently met with Pastor Tunde Bakare and former ally of Tinubu, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to discuss potential strategies for the 2027 elections.
He has also extended an invitation to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, to join the SDP.
Addressing speculation about his own presidential ambitions in 2027, El-Rufai clarified that the decision to contest would not solely be his but would depend on the party and the people. He emphasized that it is up to the party and the electorate to decide if he should run for president.
