Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna, has responded to speculations suggesting he is planning to defect from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
On Sunday, a post on X claimed that El-Rufai was preparing to join the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna.
In response, the former Kaduna governor dismissed the rumours, describing them as blatant falsehoods.
“Please disregard the patent lies and rumours about my political affiliation. I have referred the lead peddlers of the fake news for further action by my lawyers,” he stated.
Rumours about El-Rufai’s potential shift in political allegiance have circulated since 2023. These speculations gained momentum after the former governor failed to pass the ministerial screening.
The Senate had withheld his confirmation due to security clearance issues, preventing him from taking the oath of office as a minister, despite being nominated by President Bola Tinubu.
The Senate’s decision was seen by some as an attempt to diminish the political influence of El-Rufai, who had been a prominent figure in the APC.
In Kaduna, the former governor’s eight-year tenure is under investigation for alleged corruption, though El-Rufai has dismissed the probe as politically motivated. This investigation points to possible tensions between El-Rufai and his successor, Uba Sani, despite both being members of the APC.
Recently, El-Rufai shared an article on X that criticised President Tinubu for alleged ethnic bias in the leadership structure of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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