Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser on Public Communications and Media to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has dismissed the political relevance of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, describing his recent coalition moves as lacking substance and already losing steam.
Speaking on Focus Nigeria, a flagship political programme aired on AIT, Bwala argued that El-Rufai’s influence has sharply declined and his efforts to realign politically have failed to gain traction.
“Even when he started, it was like he dropped Andrew Liver Salt, and then it calmed down. That’s what is happening. Nobody talks about him. Nobody looks for him,” Bwala said, drawing a metaphor to highlight the short-lived nature of El-Rufai’s political momentum.
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Bwala emphasized that El-Rufai is increasingly detached from grassroots politics, despite receiving considerable media attention. He cautioned against equating visibility with influence, particularly in northern political dynamics.
“When we talk of the north, there are times there is a misconception. People identify five eggheads and call them the north. Some of them are disconnected from the source,” he noted.
The presidential aide further argued that El-Rufai’s political relevance had begun to wane long before he left office. He cited the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s significant electoral setbacks in Kaduna State during El-Rufai’s second term, including the loss of three senatorial seats, multiple House of Representatives positions, and the presidential vote in the state.
“In the second half of his term, the APC lost three senate seats and a number of House of Representatives seats. The president lost the election there,” Bwala noted, describing these losses as “indices” that political analysts use to measure a politician’s decline in popularity.
Bwala also disclosed that some political actors involved in ongoing coalition discussions have urged El-Rufai to rejoin the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), suggesting limited appetite for a new political direction spearheaded by the former governor.
“Even among the people who are talking about coalition now, he said he wants to move somewhere. They say, come back to PDP,” Bwala said.
In contrast, Bwala defended President Tinubu’s political strength, citing overwhelming public reception during a recent visit to Katsina as evidence of enduring popularity.
“We went to Katsina with the president two weeks ago… from the airport to the city, people lined up,” Bwala said, countering opposition claims that the president lacks support in the north.
El-Rufai recently made headlines by labeling the Tinubu administration as the “worst and most corrupt” in Nigeria’s history — a remark that has intensified political discourse and drawn reactions from various quarters within the ruling party.
