Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed as false reports alleging that he commented on which region of the country should produce the President in the 2027 general election.
The viral claims, which circulated widely on social media, alleged that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain had said it was the turn of the South to produce the next president. The reports also suggested that El-Rufai was backing the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, ahead of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement issued on Monday via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, El-Rufai described the reports as “untrue” despite their widespread circulation.
He clarified that he had at no time made such remarks in any of his speeches, media interviews or on his verified social media platforms.
“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,” he said. “This claim is untrue, despite its virality. I did not make such a statement in any of my speeches, interviews or social media posts.”
El-Rufai noted that he maintains verifiable social media platforms where he directly expresses his personal views, adding that it was misleading to attribute to him opinions he did not publicly state.
He also cautioned against ascribing opinion articles written by other authors to him simply because he shared such pieces on his platforms, stressing that doing so amounted to misrepresentation.
“These clarifications are crucial as we confront both irresponsible politicking and the deliberate misuse of social media for the spread of fake news,” he said. “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.”
The former governor urged media practitioners and members of the public to always verify information before publishing or sharing it, warning that society suffers when media leaders and influencers fail to uphold professional standards.
“In this age of turmoil and falsehood, the obligation to verify information before posting or publishing has become more important than ever. In this instance, it appears that some senior editors ignored this duty,” he said.
El-Rufai also called on all stakeholders to act responsibly to curb the spread of misinformation and what he described as irresponsible politicking, stressing that no views should be attributed to him unless they are explicitly expressed on his official social media platforms or during interviews with reputable media organisations.
