El-Rufai Denies Backing Any Region For 2027 Presidency

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has denied reports alleging that he endorsed a particular region of the country to produce Nigeria’s president in the 2027 general election.

The former FCT Minister described the claim as false and misleading in a statement titled “Fake comment on 2027” and dated December 15, 2025, which was shared across his social media handles on Monday.

El-Rufai said his attention had been drawn to what he described as a trending fake news report attributing comments to him which he never made.

He dismissed the claim, insisting that at no time did he make such remarks in any public forum.

“This is an untrue claim, despite its virality. I did not say so in any of my speeches, interviews or social media posts,” he stated.

The former governor emphasized that he communicates his personal views only through platforms that are directly linked to him, warning the public and the media against attributing statements to him from unverifiable sources.

He further stressed that opinions should not be ascribed to him unless they are clearly and explicitly expressed by him in recognised channels.

“I wish to reiterate that no views may be attributable to me unless those I explicitly express on my social media platforms or during interviews with respected media platforms,” he added.

He emphasised that, “It is also wrong and improper to attribute to me opinion articles from other authors which I may post on my handles as a contribution to the national conversation.”

According to him, these clarifications are necessary amid what he described as growing political recklessness and the intentional spread of misinformation online.

“These caveats are crucial as we confront both irresponsible politicking and the deliberate misuse of social media for spreading fake news,” El-Rufai stated.

He warned that, “The wilful attribution to me of claims I did not make by a fake news platform is no excuse to treat such platforms with any seriousness.”

El-Rufai expressed concern that some senior media professionals failed in their responsibility to verify information before publication, warning that such lapses damage public trust and weaken society.

He added, “In this instance, a few senior editors seem to have ignored this duty.”

The former governor cautioned that society suffers when media leaders align with what he described as the most irresponsible actors on social media.

He urged “everyone should live up to their responsibility.”

El-Rufai Denies Backing Any Region For 2027 Presidency is first published on The Whistler Newspaper