Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has rejected reports alleging that he commented on which region should produce Nigeria’s president in the 2027 general election.
The claims, which gained traction across social media platforms, suggested that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain had declared that it was the South’s turn to produce the next president and that he was supporting the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Responding on Monday through his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, El-Rufai described the reports as false and misleading, despite their widespread circulation.
He clarified that he had never made such statements in any public speech, media interview or on any of his official 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. This claim is untrue, despite its virality,” he stated.
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El-Rufai emphasised that he communicates his views directly through verifiable channels, cautioning against the attribution of opinions or statements to him without proper confirmation.
He also condemned the practice of linking him to opinion articles authored by others, even when such materials are shared on his platforms to stimulate national discourse.
According to the former governor, the clarification became necessary in view of increasing irresponsible politicking and the deliberate spread of misinformation on social media.
He urged journalists, editors and the general public to uphold professional standards by verifying information before publishing or sharing it, warning that the integrity of public discourse suffers when accuracy is compromised.
“In this age of falsehood, the responsibility to verify information before publication has never been more critical,” he noted.
El-Rufai further called on all stakeholders to act responsibly in curbing the spread of fake news, stressing that no opinions or positions should be attributed to him unless they are explicitly expressed on his official platforms or during interviews with credible media organisations.
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