By ‎Professor Ishaq Akintola‎

‎An Islamic human rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has confirmed that the embattled former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, gave southerners the presidency. It is therefore submitted that the former governor, who is currently in detention, deserves better treatment.

‎This was contained in a press release issued on Monday, 23^rd March, 2026, by the Executive Director of the group, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

‎The full text reads:

‎”The long period of political and socio-economic persecution faced by Muslims in Yorubaland ignited MURIC’s agitation for the emergence of a Yoruba Muslim as the president of Nigeria. We thought such a Yoruba Muslim president, while not being biased against Christians and others, would at least give Yoruba Muslims a listening ear.

‎”MURIC was therefore the first to demand that a Yoruba Muslim must occupy Aso Rock come 2023. Our agitation for this began in February 2021.‎

‎”With a like-minded Islamic group, the Concerned Yoruba Muslim Scholars (led by the late Shaykh Abdul Rasheed Hadiyatullahi) we met and persuaded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to show interest in the 2023 election. He agreed.

‎”We didn’t stop there because we realized that Yoruba Muslims alone could not get our principal to the presidency. We needed a handshake across the Niger. We networked with Northern Muslims to link us with the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. We saw him as the only northern politician who has the necessary political acumen to bring the North together on our project.”

‎”Our meeting with El-Rufai resulted in a general mobilization of the North in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly after El-Rufai had declared for him. The handshake across the Niger made this possible.” ‎

‎”El-Rufai’s support became crucial, particularly after it became clear that the incumbent preferred a northerner as his successor. El-Rufai boldly rejected this attempt to keep the presidency in the North. He also openly rebuffed the shenanigans of the former governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, on naira redesign.” ‎

‎”Equally noteworthy is a video clip showing how President Tinubu openly asked El-Rufai to join his government and this did not happen at a private meeting. It happened at a campaign ground, in the presence of thousands of party enthusiasts.” ‎

‎”To convince Nigerians that MURIC is not fabricating this narrative, we asked AI the following question:‎’ What actions did El-Rufai take to support President Tinubu’s election between 2022 and 2023? ’.

‎”This is the response we got: ‘Between 2022 and 2023, Nasir El-Rufai acted as a crucial northern ally for Bola Tinubu’s presidential bid. He publicly championed the power shift to the South, advocated for the “top-to-bottom” APC voting strategy in Kaduna, helped secure the endorsement of northern APC governors, and participated in key campaign activities, including a trip to Chatham House.

‎”AI continues: ‘Key actions taken by El-Rufai to support Tinubu include:

‎Championing Southern Presidency: El-Rufai was a key proponent of the “power shift” principle, arguing that the presidency must move to the South after 8 years of Buhari’s presidency.

‎”‘Northern Coalition Building: He played a key role within the northern governors’ forum, facilitating support for Tinubu’s candidacy.

‎”Top-to-Bottom” Campaign in Kaduna: Despite challenges, he advocated for voters in Kaduna to vote for the APC from the local level to the presidency.

‎Campaign Activities: He accompanied Tinubu to major events, including the visit to Chatham House, to boost his credibility.’

‎”Anyone who thinks we lied should simply type the same question on AI: ‘What actions did El-Rufai take to support President Tinubu’s election between 2022 and 2023?’”

‎”MURIC takes full responsibility for the general mobilization among Muslims for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We apologize to the family and friends of El-Rufai in particular and Nigerian Muslims in general. We will not disown what we initiated. Neither shall we abandon a leader who took up a national assignment on our behest simply because he is currently behind bars.”

‎”Without prejudice to the independence of the judiciary, we assert that El-Rufai’s court cases are not matters for the courts alone. They are firmly rooted in politics. That is the bigger picture, which we must look at. MURIC cannot, in good conscience, remain silent while El-Rufai remains behind bars. We take responsibility for bringing him into the struggle to give Asiwaju the North. And he did. We affirm that El-Rufai did our bidding up to the time President Tinubu was sworn in on 29^th May, 2023.”

‎”It will therefore be a big shame and a monumental failure on the part of the political class if the worst-case scenario is enacted in El-Rufai’s case while many politicians who have cases in court continue to walk free on Nigerian streets. All in all, the truth must be told: El-Rufai gave Southerners the presidency. He deserves better treatment.”

‎Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).