Nasir el-Rufai distances self from fake quote from ADC Vanguard

Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, has firmly distanced himself from a viral statement shared by a political support group, ADC Vanguard, that wrongly attributed harsh criticism of the Tinubu administration to him.

Taking to his verified X account on Thursday, el-Rufai expressed displeasure over the fabricated remarks, warning the group to stop using his name to push narratives he did not author.

“Dear ADC Vanguard, please stop fabricating statements and attributing them to me,” he wrote. “I have my own social media accounts where I can share my views and opinions.”

“I am going to disown the statements you created and attributed, not because I necessarily disagree with the message, but because I never made them. That is not the honest way to represent our party or gain traction. Please stop it forthwith.”

The now-deleted post by ADC Vanguard falsely quoted el-Rufai as describing President Bola Tinubu’s administration as “Nigeria’s most corrupt, dishonest government,” claiming it had “perfected the art of looting with arrogance and lying with confidence.”

The fabricated message sparked reactions online before el-Rufai stepped in to clarify his position and warn against misinformation.

In response, ADC Vanguard issued a public apology, acknowledging the error and promising to verify information before publication moving forward.

“Dear Mallam el-Rufai, we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused. It was never our intention to misrepresent or attribute statements to you,” the group wrote.

“We respect your voice and your platforms as the proper channels for your views.”

The group also pledged to rely only on verified sources, thanking el-Rufai for his respectful handling of the matter.

El-Rufai’s rebuttal highlights a growing concern about the spread of disinformation in Nigeria’s political landscape, particularly as political actors and support groups jostle for relevance and influence online.