By Jude Opara
A former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has argued that former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, played a decisive role in the emergence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.
Speaking during an interview on Mic On Podcast, monitored in Abuja, Dalung maintained that El-Rufai was instrumental in rallying northern political support behind Tinubu at a critical stage of the APC presidential succession process.
According to him, El-Rufai championed the campaign for power to shift to Southern Nigeria and mobilized northern governors to back Tinubu when uncertainty surrounded the ruling party’s presidential ticket.
Dalung recalled that while former President Muhammadu Buhari was widely believed to favour former Senate President Ahmad Lawan, El-Rufai reportedly persuaded northern governors to seek clarification from Buhari, a move he said eventually strengthened Tinubu’s chances.
The former minister further claimed that Tinubu recognizes El-Rufai’s political influence and organizational capacity, describing the former Kaduna governor as one of the key figures behind the president’s electoral success.
Dalung also alleged that there are efforts to keep El-Rufai tied down by legal battles ahead of the 2027 elections, though he did not provide evidence to support the claim.
Peoples Daily reports that his comments add another dimension to the ongoing political debate over El-Rufai’s role within Nigeria’s opposition realignments and his relationship with the current administration as preparations gradually begin for the 2027 electoral cycle.
