- Nasir El-Rufai accused the Tinubu administration of regressing Nigeria, citing rising insecurity and economic hardship
- He claimed appointments under Tinubu were based on tribal ties rather than merit, calling it a betrayal of APC’s founding values
- El-Rufai’s remarks stirred political debate, though neither President Tinubu nor his aides had responded publicly
Former governor of Kaduna State and chieftain of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Nasir El-Rufai, has strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of driving Nigeria backwards since taking office.
In a recent interview with Deutsche Welle Hausa during a visit to Katsina, El-Rufai alleged that the current government has been marked by incompetence, nepotism, and a betrayal of the founding principles of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party through which Tinubu rose to power.
“Ever since the assumption of office of Tinubu as Nigeria’s president, the country has begun to go backwards,” El-Rufai stated.
He pointed to deteriorating levels of security, worsening economic conditions, and what he described as a rise in ethnic profiling across the country.
“Insecurity has increased, the economy is dwindling, affluent people are now poor, and ethnic profiling is on the rise,” he said.
The former governor also criticised the president’s appointment practices, suggesting that personal or tribal affiliations appeared to take precedence over merit.
“Whoever he is giving an appointment to must be someone he knows or from his tribe. They can dismiss that, but Nigerians are not stupid. There is no way your name is this, and they will say no, you are from Katsina,” he added.
El-Rufai's comments have sparked fresh debate on the direction of the Tinubu administration, with some echoing his concerns and others dismissing them as politically motivated.
Neither President Tinubu nor his spokespersons have responded to the accusations at the time of publishing.
El-Rufai blasts APC for poor leadership, lack of internal democracy
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Nasir El-Rufai criticised the APC for poor leadership and lack of internal democracy, stating party structures have collapsed.
El-Rufai urged opposition parties to unite ahead of the 2027 elections and called for stronger standards in candidate nominations to address governance challenges.
