The Middle Belt Forum on Friday warned political parties and politicians across the country, cautioning them against aligning with former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group said any political party or presidential aspirant who associates with El-Rufai risks losing the entire support base of the Middle Belt region.
Addressing journalists in Kaduna, the National Publicity Secretary of the Forum, Luka Binniyat, said the warning followed what he described as the former governor’s “disdainful utterances” against the people of Southern Kaduna during a recent television interview.
According to him, El-Rufai’s comments on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme were not only “insulting” but also reflected a long history of “toxic relationship” between the former governor and the Middle Belt people.
“I came to Kaduna from our national headquarters in Abuja with a message for our Kaduna State chapter,” Binniyat declared.
“This message concerns the outburst of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai on Politics Today where he spoke very degradingly about the people of Southern Kaduna, their elders, and even their religious leaders. The Middle Belt Forum will not take that lightly.”
The MBF spokesman noted that Southern Kaduna occupies a strategic position within the Middle Belt, not only because of its size and population but also because of its educational, economic, and cultural relevance.
He explained that Southern Kaduna alone constitutes 12 out of the 23 local government areas in Kaduna State, with an estimated population of over 5.1 million people.
Binniyat accused the former governor of fostering division and hostility toward the region, saying the people have lost faith in his political intentions.
He warned that any coalition or political party involving the former governor in its 2027 arrangements would automatically alienate millions of voters from the region.
He said, “Southern Kaduna forms a very big part of the Middle Belt. The Middle Belt itself is far larger than the so-called North Central. It covers Southern Kaduna, Southern Borno, Southern Bauchi, Taraba, Adamawa, and parts of Gombe.
“But Southern Kaduna is particularly important because of its high population, rich agricultural lands, and its educated and productive populace.
“So when someone insults Southern Kaduna, the Middle Belt sees it as an attack on its very identity.
“The Middle Belt regards El-Rufai as somebody that does not wish it well. He is somebody that is out to annihilate us, somebody who has a very toxic relationship with the Middle Belt.
“Whoever wants to be taken seriously among the big politicians contesting for power in 2027 should stay away from El-Rufai. Otherwise, they risk losing the votes of the entire Middle Belt.”
The MBF spokesman likened El-Rufai’s involvement in politics to what he described as “a political virus,” alleging that any alliance with him would infect political parties with the “hatred and bigotry” the Middle Belt associates with his leadership style.
When asked whether this position reflected only his personal views, Binniyat insisted that the decision was the consensus of the Middle Belt Forum at the national level and had been communicated to all its state chapters.
“Yes, this is the general consensus of the Middle Belt Forum. Our chapters are aware, and the average Middle Belter today believes that El-Rufai does not wish our people well. We are speaking the collective mind of the Middle Belt.”
He further alleged that if politicians ignored the warning and El-Rufai eventually found his way into national power through them, the Middle Belt might suffer political and economic marginalization under such an administration.
“Our fear is simple. If through such an arrangement someone becomes President, El-Rufai’s influence might inspire policies that will deal with us negatively. We cannot, therefore, support any political party that embraces him,” he said.
Earlier, the Forum’s Kaduna State Chairman, John Bako Ajeye, had launched an attack on the former Kaduna State governor, accusing him of spreading “falsehoods, hatred, and toxic politics” against the people of Southern Kaduna.
According to the chairman, the former governor’s recent appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today was “a masterclass in deception” aimed at politically diminishing Southern Kaduna ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said, “El-Rufai’s claims about Southern Kaduna’s population and political relevance are outright falsehoods
“They represent a dangerous attempt to rewrite reality and marginalize a region that has contributed immensely to Kaduna State and Nigeria at large.”
The Forum accused the former governor of “demographic gaslighting,” alleging that his remarks were designed to incite division and discredit a region that played a decisive role in the state’s electoral history.
El-Rufai was not available for comment as of the time of filing this report.
