Nasir El-Rufai: Tinubu’s Birthday Greetings Forced Critics to Acknowledge Me
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s birthday message was a powerful reminder to his critics who had remained silent about acknowledging him on his 65th birthday.
El-Rufai had previously caused a stir within the All Progressives Congress (APC) by accusing the party of lacking internal democracy under Tinubu’s leadership. He claimed that the party’s organs had failed to meet for the past two years, coinciding with Tinubu’s time in office. El-Rufai also stated that he no longer recognized the APC.
Despite this criticism, Tinubu sent El-Rufai a birthday message on February 16, 2025, praising the former governor. El-Rufai responded by acknowledging that many of his friends, associates, and admirers had sent him various messages and prayers for his milestone birthday.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, El-Rufai expressed his gratitude for the overwhelming outpouring of support, particularly from those who had not initially wished him well until after receiving the president’s message. He wrote:
“MONDAY MESSAGE: It has been about a week since many friends, associates, and admirers sent me various messages and prayers in commemoration of my 65th birthday. The prayers and good wishes were quite humbling and gratifying, but far too many and overwhelming for individual acknowledgment or response by me, hence this message. I want to thank everyone who sent me their prayers and best wishes, including those who didn’t want to until President Tinubu’s message shamed them into action.”
El-Rufai further expressed his well-wishes to all those who reached out and asked for forgiveness if he missed acknowledging anyone’s message. He also shared his hopes for Nigeria’s future, wishing for continued health, prosperity, and a flourishing democracy.
The former governor’s post comes as he continues to engage with opposition figures, including former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
