Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai is at the center of a sensational controversy over Nigeria’s 2027 presidential race. Viral reports and social media posts have accused El-Rufai of declaring that it’s the South’s “turn” to produce the next president, and even of backing Labour Party’s Peter Obi over political heavyweight Atiku Abubakar. But El-Rufai is now on the defensive, calling the entire story “fake news.”

El-Rufai, a major player in Nigerian politics and a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to issue a categorical denial. He insists he never made any such statements, either in public, in interviews, or on his social media. “This claim is untrue, despite its virality,” he posted, in what many see as an attempt to put out the firestorm of speculation.

But the drama doesn’t end there. El-Rufai is also lashing out at the media and social media users, accusing them of spreading misinformation and attributing to him opinion articles he merely shared, not authored. “It is also wrong and improper to attribute to me opinion articles written by other authors,” he complained, as if sharing content online doesn’t fuel the rumor machine.

In a performative show of outrage, El-Rufai slammed what he calls “irresponsible politicking” and the “deliberate misuse of social media for the spread of fake news.” He warned that fake news platforms are not to be taken seriously, even as his own name trends across those very platforms.

El-Rufai didn’t stop at blaming the public,he also took aim at the media, accusing senior editors of failing in their duty to verify information. “Society stands to lose when media leaders align with the most irresponsible actors on social media,” he declared, painting himself as a victim of a reckless media circus.

He wrapped up his statement with a stern warning: only trust statements that come directly from his official social media or reputable interviews. Anything else, he says, is fiction.

This latest episode comes as Nigeria’s political scene heats up ahead of the 2027 elections, with politicians and their supporters scrambling for attention and influence. El-Rufai’s emphatic denials and finger-pointing only add fuel to the fire, as the public and media continue to speculate about his true intentions and alliances. In the age of viral news and political theater, the line between fact and fiction has never been blurrier.