A public affairs analyst, Usman Okai Austin, on Tuesday said former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, should let Nigerians decide President Bola Tinubu’s fate in 2027 and not him.
Okai’s call comes amid El-Rufai’s remark that Tinubu can’t win the 2027 presidential election.
He branded the Social Democratic Party (SDP) chieftain as “pure sour grapes” and “ego-driven.”
Posting on Facebook, Okai wrote: “El-Rufai doesn’t care about Nigeria, he cares about Nasir El-Rufai.
“Let Nigerians decide Tinubu’s fate in 2027, not El-Rufai, who talks like God and tries to usurp the people’s power.”
Okai claimed that El-Rufai’s political relevance had been systematically dismantled by his successor, Governor Uba Sani.
According to the analyst, El-Rufai assumed Sani would remain loyal after endorsing him as his successor but underestimated political undercurrents.
“This is the same El-Rufai who manipulated his childhood friend, Uba Sani, into becoming his Chief of Staff, then weaponised him against Shehu Sani, despite the fact that Uba and Shehu are brothers.
“Blood proved thicker than water,” he wrote.
Describing El-Rufai’s fall as “poetic justice,” Okai painted a picture of a man once feared, now discarded.
“Once a kingmaker, he is now a discarded pawn — used, dumped, and left seething with rage.”
He also referenced El-Rufai’s controversial ministerial nomination, which was rejected during Senate screening, as an event he termed an “unprecedented disgrace.”
Adding insult to injury, Uba Sani reportedly disregarded El-Rufai’s preferred nominee for Kaduna’s ministerial slot and instead nominated his own candidate.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Okai noted, appeared to have completely sidelined the former governor.
“There were no calls, no reconciliation. Just cold, calculated disregard,” Okai wrote.
El-Rufai’s reaction, according to the analyst, has been one of public outbursts and media interviews.
Questioning if anyone is still listening, Okai said, “Now, El-Rufai is on a revenge tour — granting interviews, crying betrayal, and desperately trying to explain himself.”
The post further criticised El-Rufai’s role in turning Kaduna into Nigeria’s first Muslim-Muslim ticket state, accusing him of fuelling religious imbalance and overseeing widespread insecurity.
“He had the audacity to advise Tinubu to replicate his divisive strategy.
“But Tinubu outplayed him. Shettima got the VP slot. The ministerial dream collapsed.”
Okai also recalled El-Rufai’s history of political conflict, citing his attacks on former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Musa Yar’Adua, and his habit of replacing political allies with loyal family members.
“Had Tinubu made him a minister, or had Uba Sani remained his puppet, El-Rufai would be singing his praises today.
“But now? He’s just another bitter ex-governor, thrashing in the political gutter, screaming for relevance.”