Presidency Mocks El-Rufai-Led Coalition, Labels It a Gathering of “Internally Displaced Politicians

The Bola Tinubu administration has dismissed a new political coalition being championed by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, branding it as a group of “internally displaced politicians” lacking clear direction or electoral relevance.

This sharp rebuke came from President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, who responded via his verified X (formerly Twitter) account to El-Rufai’s recent critical remarks during an interview on Arise Television.

In the interview, aired Tuesday night, El-Rufai launched a pointed attack on President Tinubu’s leadership, alleging that the president’s approval ratings in Northern Nigeria and the Southeast had plunged to just 9 percent. He argued that such low public support would make Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 virtually impossible.

“Tinubu cannot return as president with a 91 percent disapproval rating in the North and the Southeast,” El-Rufai stated, also referring to Tinubu’s cabinet as a “joke” lacking in quality and competence.

In response, Bwala dismissed El-Rufai’s claims as politically motivated and baseless.

“I listened to the interview of my elder brother @elrufai Nasir El-Rufai on Prime Time Arise TV tonight,” Bwala wrote. “He didn’t say anything new or outside the realm of what anyone in the opposition or coalition would say.”

Bwala went further to accuse El-Rufai of attempting to distort historical facts without presenting any evidence. “What is, however, strange is how he tried to re-write history, and his facts were not supported by any shred of evidence,” he said.

Addressing the political alliance El-Rufai alluded to—allegedly involving key opposition figures such as Peter Obi of the Labour Party and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the PDP—Bwala ridiculed the initiative.

“Their coalition is still an association of internally displaced politicians formed for a wild goose chase. Dead on arrival,” he remarked.

Although El-Rufai clarified during his interview that the coalition had not yet adopted a political party, the exchange has already ignited a fierce political war of words, hinting at early tensions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Adding to the criticism, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former Political Adviser to President Tinubu, also dismissed the credibility of the emerging coalition. Speaking on Arise News on Monday, the former Northern Elders Forum spokesperson argued that the alliance comprises the same political figures who, in his view, lack the moral authority and vision to drive meaningful political change.

“They are the same old actors recycling themselves with no real promise of renewal,” Baba-Ahmed said, warning Nigerians to be wary of such alliances.

As Nigeria edges closer to another election cycle, these developments suggest an intensifying political landscape, with both ruling party loyalists and opposition figures trading blows over credibility, leadership, and public support.