Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu is wary of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai because of the key role he played in securing Tinubu’s emergence as president in 2023.
Speaking during an interview on *Mic On Podcast*, Dalung argued that El-Rufai was instrumental in building northern support for Tinubu's presidential bid and described him as one of the most influential figures behind the president’s victory.
According to Dalung, El-Rufai championed the push for power to return to the South and mobilised northern governors in support of Tinubu at a critical stage of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary process.
He recalled that when reports emerged that former President Muhammadu Buhari preferred then Senate President Ahmed Lawan as the APC presidential candidate, El-Rufai led a delegation of northern governors to seek clarification from Buhari.
Dalung said Buhari maintained that party members should be allowed to choose their preferred candidate, a development he said strengthened Tinubu’s chances.
“El-Rufai brought Tinubu. Without El-Rufai, Tinubu would not have been accepted in the North in 2023,” Dalung said.
He added that El-Rufai actively campaigned for Tinubu across the country and represented him at international engagements, including an appearance at Chatham House in London.
Dalung also alleged that there are efforts to keep El-Rufai tied up in legal battles until after the 2027 general election.
“There is a deliberate intention of having him incarcerated until this transition is over because the one Bola Tinubu fears the most is El-Rufai,” he said.
The former minister further claimed that El-Rufai could be subjected to multiple court cases and bail conditions that may be difficult to to meet, effectively keeping him occupied with legal challenges ahead of the next election cycle.
Neither the Presidency nor El-Rufai has publicly responded to Dalung’s remarks.
