El-Rufai Confirms Awareness of Tinubu’s Chicago University Controversy Before Supporting Him

Malam Nasir El-Rufai has openly acknowledged that he, along with other politicians, backed President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election despite being aware of the controversy surrounding his academic records from Chicago State University.

In a BBC interview, the former Governor of Kaduna State explained that their support stemmed from the belief that Tinubu would replicate his successes as governor of Lagos State.

“What pains me is the confidence we had in the government we supported. We’re all familiar with Tinubu’s achievements in Lagos, and while we knew about the Chicago matter, we believed that if he could apply the same principles, he would make Nigeria great,” he stated.

Since then, El-Rufai has criticized Tinubu’s administration and recently defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on March 10, 2025.

In his new political venture, El-Rufai aims to rally support from other politicians as he gears up for the 2027 elections, having recently met with figures like Pastor Tunde Bakare and former Tinubu ally, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

He has also reached out to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi to join the SDP. Amid speculation regarding his ambitions for the presidency in 2027, El-Rufai emphasized that such decisions would rest with the party and the electorate.

“It is not for me to choose; it is a decision for the party and the people,” he remarked, while affirming the SDP’s position as a consistent opposition force.