Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser on Public Communications and Media to President Bola Tinubu, has ridiculed former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s political relevance, claiming his recently formed coalition lacks substance and has already lost momentum.
During an appearance on Focus Nigeria, an AIT current affairs programme, Bwala brushed aside the significance of El-Rufai’s political activities, likening them to a brief, ineffective surge.
“Even when he started, it was like that — 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 stated.
He emphasised that El-Rufai lacks grassroots appeal and is politically disconnected from the northern base, despite media attention that may suggest otherwise.
“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 added.
Bwala further claimed that El-Rufai’s influence began to erode during the second half of his tenure as governor, citing the APC’s poor electoral performance in Kaduna as a reflection of his dwindling grip on power.
“In the second half of his term, the APC lost three Senate seats and several House of Representatives seats.
“The president lost the election there,” Bwala said. “So, people won’t look at those. But political scientists look at those things as indices.”
He also revealed that some figures involved in ongoing coalition talks are urging El-Rufai to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“Even among the people who are talking about coalition now, he said he wants to move somewhere. They say, come back to PDP,” he noted.
In contrast, Bwala defended President Tinubu’s popularity, highlighting the warm reception the president received during a recent visit to Katsina.
“We went to Katsina with the president two weeks ago… from the airport to the city, people lined up,” he said, dismissing narratives that Tinubu is losing national support.
El-Rufai had recently escalated tensions by labelling the Tinubu administration as the “worst and most corrupt” in Nigeria’s history.