December 15, (THEWILL) — Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has dismissed as false a viral report claiming that he specified which region of Nigeria should produce the president in 2027, warning media organisations and the public against the growing menace of fake news and irresponsible reportage.
In a statement issued on Monday, December 15, El-Rufai described the claim as entirely untrue, stressing that at no time did he make such comments in any speech, interview or social media post.
“My attention has been drawn to a trending fake news item alleging that I specified which region of the country should produce the president in 2027. This is an untrue claim, despite its virality”, he said.
The former FCT Minister emphasised that he maintains verifiable personal platforms on social media where he clearly expresses and owns his opinions, noting that only views explicitly stated on those platforms or during interviews with reputable media organisations should be attributed to him.
El-Rufai also faulted the practice of ascribing to him opinion articles authored by others, even when such pieces are shared on his social media handles to enrich national debate.
“It is wrong and improper to attribute to me opinion articles from other authors which I may post on my handles as a contribution to the national conversation”, he stated, warning that the deliberate spread of falsehoods, particularly around politically sensitive issues ahead of the 2027 general elections, undermines responsible politicking and weakens public trust in democratic discourse.
Describing the source of the report as a fake news platform, El-Rufai said the wilful attribution of statements he never made should not be accorded any credibility. He expressed concern that some senior media editors amplified the unverified claim without proper fact-checking.
“In this age of turmoil and falsehood, the obligation to verify before publishing has become ever more crucial. Society loses if media leaders join the most irresponsible actors on social media in the unedifying Olympics of fiction and fakery”, he stated.
El-Rufai urged journalists, editors and social media users to uphold professional and ethical standards, stressing that everyone has a responsibility to resist disinformation and protect the integrity of public debate.
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