I Fought Hard to Deliver Pres Tinubu in My State but I Lost, That Taught Me a Hard Lesson – El-Rufai

 Th Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has opened up about the 2023 presidential election, revealing that despite his best efforts to secure victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Kaduna State, he ultimately failed a setback he described as a deeply instructive experience.

Speaking at a political retreat in Abuja, El-Rufai candidly admitted, “I fought hard to deliver President Tinubu in my state but I lost. That taught me a hard lesson.” The former governor did not specify the nature of the lesson but emphasized that the experience reshaped his approach to politics and voter engagement.

El-Rufai had been one of the key Northern figures backing Tinubu’s presidential bid and was actively involved in campaign strategy across the region. However, Tinubu lost Kaduna State to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 2023 election, a surprising outcome given El-Rufai’s influence and political machinery in the state.

The former governor acknowledged that the defeat exposed the limits of political power and highlighted the importance of winning public trust beyond elite-level negotiations. “Power truly belongs to the people. No matter how hard you try, if the people decide otherwise, there’s little you can do,” he said.

El-Rufai’s reflection has sparked conversations about electoral strategy and the evolving political consciousness of Nigerian voters, especially in the North. Analysts say it also signals a more humble and strategic posture from one of the country’s most prominent political figures ahead of 2027.