Hajiya Asiya El-Rufai has said her husband, Nasir El-Rufai, backed Bola Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election because he believed in an agreement that power should rotate to Nigeria’s South.
Speaking in an interview aired by Arise News on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, Asiya El-Rufai said her husband defended the power-shift arrangement, including taking former President Muhammadu Buhari to court to uphold it.
“My husband supported President Tinubu because he’s an honorable man. He said they had a gentleman’s agreement that power should move to the South in 2023. He fought everyone. He even fought former President Buhari. He took him to court just to ensure that the agreement stood,” she said.
She also expressed concern over her husband’s health and the emotional impact of his detention on the family, urging authorities to uphold the rule of law and ensure he receives fair treatment. Asiya maintained that constitutional rights and due process should be respected for all Nigerians, regardless of political affiliation.
