Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has rejected as false a widely circulated claim suggesting he declared which region should produce Nigeria’s president in 2027.
Social media reports had alleged that the African Democratic Congress chieftain said it was the South’s turn to produce the next president and hinted that he was backing Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Reacting on Monday via his verified X account, El-Rufai described the reports as fabricated, stressing that he never made such comments in any public forum.
“My attention has been drawn to a trending fake news item alleging that I specified which region of the country should produce the president in 2027. This claim is untrue, despite its virality. I did not make such a statement in any of my speeches, interviews or social media posts,” he said.
He explained that his views are always communicated directly through his verified platforms or during engagements with credible media organisations, warning against attributing opinions to him based on articles written by others.
“It is also wrong and improper to attribute to me opinion articles written by other authors, even when I share such articles on my platforms as contributions to the national conversation,” he said.
El-Rufai said the clarification was necessary amid what he described as irresponsible politicking and the deliberate spread of misinformation online.
“These clarifications are crucial as we confront both irresponsible politicking and the deliberate misuse of social media for the spread of fake news,” he added, insisting that “the wilful attribution to me of claims I did not make by fake news platforms is no justification for treating such platforms with any seriousness.”
El-Rufai urged journalists, editors and social media users to verify information before publishing or sharing, warning that misinformation undermines public discourse.
“In this age of turmoil and falsehood, the obligation to verify information before posting or publishing has become more important than ever,” El-Rufai said. “Society stands to lose when media leaders align with the most irresponsible actors on social media in what can only be described as the unedifying Olympics of fiction and fakery.”
He concluded by reiterating that no opinion should be credited to him unless it is clearly expressed on his official platforms or in interviews with reputable media outlets.
