Tinubu's 2011 Support for Ribadu Deepens El-Rufai Rift

Akin Osuntokun, a former director of the Labour Party's presidential campaign council, stated that Bola Tinubu's decision to back Nuhu Ribadu in the lead-up to the 2011 presidential election exacerbated an existing political rift with Nasir El-Rufai. Osuntokun explained that this rivalry originated during the final year of Olusegun Obasanjo's administration and worsened due to public opinion polls favoring Ribadu.

At that time, Tinubu had just completed his tenure as Lagos State governor and was seeking a younger northern candidate to garner support. Osuntokun noted that the outcome of the polls created resentment, which persisted even after El-Rufai served two terms as governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023.

He emphasized that the tensions were not fully resolved and suggested that Ribadu's attempts to consolidate his relationship with Tinubu ahead of the 2023 general elections were complicated by El-Rufai's failed ministerial nomination, indicating further strain in their political dynamics.