A deep political rift has emerged within the El-Rufai family as Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, the first son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, publicly declared his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid—openly defying his father’s recent departure from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).Bello El-Rufai, who currently serves as a member of the House of Representatives for Kaduna North Federal Constituency, attended the APC National Summit in Abuja this week where Tinubu was officially endorsed as the party’s sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
Family Tensions Spill Into Public View
The endorsement comes just two months after Nasir El-Rufai quit the APC, citing a betrayal of values, and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) with a vow to build a strong opposition coalition to unseat the APC government in 2027.
Bello’s open support for Tinubu has ignited widespread reactions, exposing a family increasingly split along political lines.
“If El-Rufai can’t convince his son to leave Tinubu, how will he convince Nigerians?”
— Reno Omokri, political analyst and former presidential aide
A Politician in His Own Right
Despite the controversy, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai is forging an independent political path. A rising figure within the APC, he entered elective politics in February 2023 and won the House of Representatives seat for Kaduna North with 51,052 votes. In the 10th National Assembly, he was appointed Chairman of the House Committee on Banking Regulations.
His decision to remain in the APC and endorse Tinubu, analysts say, may reflect not just personal political convictions but a strategic alignment with the party’s national structure.
Not the First Family Rift
This isn’t the first sign of discord within the El-Rufai household. In 2024, Bello’s younger brother, Bashir El-Rufai, made headlines for fiercely criticizing President Tinubu and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani over what he described as a politically motivated probe into alleged mismanagement of ₦423 billion during their father’s tenure.
In a pointed social media post, Bashir warned:
“Nobody is too big to be elected out of office… It will happen, and wallahi, nothing will happen.”
His remarks fueled speculation of a brewing political realignment among northern elites disillusioned with Tinubu’s leadership.
2027: APC vs SDP—And El-Rufai vs El-Rufai?
As preparations for the 2027 general election accelerate, the contrasting political loyalties of father and son present a compelling subplot in Nigeria’s evolving democratic narrative.
While Nasir El-Rufai attempts to rally a national opposition movement under the SDP, Bello’s loyalty to the APC and Tinubu could either split local allegiances or neutralize his father’s political influence in Kaduna and beyond.
As Nigeria inches closer to 2027, the El-Rufai family’s division may become symbolic of the broader ideological and generational fractures shaping the nation’s political future.
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