Prominent public affairs commentator Mahdi Shehu has launched a scathing critique against former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El- Rufai, labeling him as politically spent, overly pampered, and vastly overrated following his recent alignment with the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Shehu offered these remarks during a media interaction on Symfoni TV, asserting that designating El-Rufai as a deputy director-general within the opposition platform amounts to nothing more than superficial window dressing designed for public relations rather than genuine strategic growth.
El-Rufai was recently named to a key leadership role within the ADC structure ahead of the forthcoming electoral cycle, generating diverse reactions across the country's political landscape.
Why does Mahdi Shehu believe El-Rufai lacks political value?
According to the commentator, the former governor has completely exhausted his political capital and possesses zero capacity to sway the trajectory of the upcoming 2027 general elections, regardless of any high-profile office assigned to him by political structures.
"El-Rufai has been overrated and over-pampered. His appointment as deputy DG is just cosmetics. He can't influence the 2027 elections. People have been deeply assaulted by El-Rufai's inhuman economic policies," Mahdi Shehu declared during the interview.
What impact did the former governor's administration leave behind?
Shehu drew attention to the hardships endured by citizens during El-Rufai's tenure at the helm of Kaduna State, characterizing several administrative directives as anti-people and distressful. He specifically highlighted widespread property demolitions, sweeping retrenchments affecting civil servants and educators, and heavy tax burdens as defining factors that alienated the electorate.
In his view, the voting public retains vivid memories of the anguish from that administration, making it implausible for the former governor to successfully rally support for the ADC in the next general polls. He concluded that the politician lacks the grassroots backing required to deliver even his home state, let alone impact the broader presidential contest.