Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has publicly declared his support for President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid—despite his father’s recent defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Bello, who currently represents Kaduna North in the House of Representatives, was among prominent figures at the APC National Summit in Abuja, where President Tinubu received a strong endorsement as the party’s sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
His endorsement comes in stark contrast to the political stance of his father, Nasir El-Rufai, who exited the APC in March 2025, citing ideological differences. The former governor has since joined the SDP, vowing to rally the opposition and unseat the APC in the next general election.
Bello’s decision has stirred political debate, with critics and observers weighing in. Notably, political commentator Reno Omokri took a jab at the elder El-Rufai, saying, “If El-Rufai can’t convince his son to leave Tinubu, how will he convince Nigerians?”
The El-Rufai family’s internal political divide has been apparent for some time. In 2024, another son, Bashir El-Rufai, took to social media to launch scathing attacks on both President Tinubu and Kaduna Governor Uba Sani. Bashir predicted electoral defeat for the duo in 2027 and described the ongoing investigation into his father—over alleged mismanagement of N423 billion—as a political witch-hunt.
In a viral post, Bashir wrote, “Nobody is too big to be ‘elected out of office’ by the people. It will happen, and wallahi, nothing will happen. So forget all these intimidations flying up and down. Let us be patient.”
As the 2027 elections draw nearer, the unfolding El-Rufai family drama adds another layer of intrigue to Nigeria’s already complex political landscape.
