El-Rufai denies rift with Tinubu
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has rejected claims of a personal rift with President Bola Tinubu, while simultaneously declaring that the political push to remove the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is now underway, framing his opposition as a response to what he described as a widening gap between the promises of the party and the direction of the government. 
In remarks reported by local media and attributed to an interview monitored from BBC Hausa, El-Rufai said “the political battle to unseat the current administration has just begun,” adding that those in power were uneasy about his return to Nigeria and were watching him closely. 
The comments land against the backdrop of a tense incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, where El-Rufai’s camp alleged that security operatives attempted to detain him shortly after his arrival from Cairo, Egypt. His media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, said El-Rufai declined to go with the operatives without a formal invitation or warrant. 
“No personal problem” but a clear political break
El-Rufai’s core argument is blunt: he insists he has no personal dispute with Tinubu, but says their political objectives no longer align.
In the Punch report, El-Rufai is quoted as saying he has “no problem with Tinubu,” stressing that they never had personal dealings and that their relationship was not built on long-standing political collaboration.
That claim closely tracks an earlier, more detailed account carried by TheCable, where El-Rufai said public assumptions of a deep friendship were misplaced, arguing that his support for Tinubu was rooted in party principle and a power-rotation understanding, not personal closeness. 
This matters because it reframes the story away from gossip politics. El-Rufai is telling supporters and critics alike: this isn’t personal beef, it’s a political divorce.
The “invitation or warrant” angle and the politics of pressure
A big part of the drama is the Abuja airport incident. El-Rufai’s camp described it as unconstitutional intimidation, alleging that operatives attempted to detain him and that his passport was seized before they withdrew. 
El-Rufai, speaking afterward, suggested that the scrutiny and efforts to obstruct him were politically motivated, insisting that if there were credible allegations against him, authorities should prove them through proper legal process. 
For Ogele News readers, the key point is not the theatrics. It’s what the incident signals: a former governor is alleging state pressure at a politically sensitive moment, while the government side has not, in this specific report, provided a detailed public account to counter the narrative.
https://ogelenews.ng/el-rufai-denies-rift-with-tinubu
Coalition talk: “I brought them in, I’ll help remove them”
The most politically combustible part of El-Rufai’s message is his repeated framing of a coalition strategy.
He said he is aligning with an “emerging coalition,” urging different blocs to forgive past disputes and work together, even while insisting he has no immediate plan to contest for office. 
Then comes the line designed for headlines: since he contributed to bringing the government into power, he says he must also contribute to removing it. 
That statement is a signal flare. It tells the ruling party that the fight isn’t just criticism from outside. It’s coming from someone who once stood inside the APC’s winning machine.
Where this leaves APC politics
El-Rufai’s comments widen the crack that has been visible for a while: disputes inside the APC ecosystem between those urging internal reconciliation and those moving toward opposition coalition-building.
TheCable’s reporting also shows El-Rufai framing the disagreement as philosophical, saying he would have exited the federal cabinet “long ago” if an appointment had materialised, because he believes the current approach of governance conflicts with his principles. 
Whether voters accept El-Rufai as a credible face of opposition is a different question. But politically, his comments do two things at once:
1. they deny a personal feud with Tinubu, and
2. they declare open-season politics against the ruling party.
And that’s why this story matters beyond social media heat.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2026/02/el-rufai-speaks-on-relationship-with-tinubu-and-apc
El-Rufai denies rift with Tinubu
