2027: ‘CORE NORTH BACKING ATIKU FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS POLITICAL CAREER’ – EL-RUFAI’S SON

August 27, 2026

Read Time:1 Minute, 2 Second

By:Tajudeen Aminat

The son of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, Bashir El-Rufai, has claimed that the core North is increasingly warming up to African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Bashir said Atiku is receiving unprecedented acceptance from people in the region, describing it as the first time in the former vice president’s political career that he has gained such support from the core North.

In a post on X, Bashir wrote, “Atiku is gaining traction in the North. For the first time in his political career, he is being embraced by the core North, in part because of his mantra of being the most detribalised, historically, of the bunch.”

He also argued that Atiku’s position on the fuel subsidy debate is unsettling the Federal Government.

“That calculus could be the game-changer. They are rattled. This subsidy debate forged by Atiku forms a perfect narrative to the realities on the ground,” he added.

Bashir further recounted his visits to his father, saying he remains impressed by his resilience and positive spirit despite the challenges surrounding him.

He said he asked his father whether he still believed the sacrifice was worthwhile, adding that Nasir El-Rufai responded affirmatively without hesitation.