Farouk Aliyu, former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and founding member of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), has described Malam Nasir El-Rufai as a political opportunist who only stays loyal when things go his way.
El-Rufai, who once supported President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 elections, has now turned into a critic of the same administration. The former Kaduna State governor recently left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Since then, he has been calling for a coalition of opposition parties to challenge Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
Many believe El-Rufai’s sudden switch stems from disappointment after he failed to secure a ministerial position under Tinubu’s government. His supporters, however, say he is only standing up for what he thinks is right.
In an interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Friday, Farouk Aliyu made his views clear. He noted that El-Rufai’s accusations of corruption against President Tinubu are based on personal feelings rather than facts.
“If Nasir had been made a minister, today he would have been at the forefront of insulting people, but he lost out, and he cannot see it as an act of God,” Farouk said.
He also pointed out El-Rufai’s inconsistent behavior, reminding the public how strongly the former governor pushed for Tinubu’s victory just a year ago. “This is the same northerner, who said whether northerners like it or not, it must be Tinubu,” he added.
Farouk went on to say that the former governor’s actions show how political elites in Nigeria often act based on personal gain, not national interest. “The same party that made you a governor for eight years, all of a sudden because you’re out of governance, you start insulting people, bringing divisiveness into this country,” he said.
