The Mayor of Urhoboland, Israel Eshanekpe, also known as Akpodoro, has criticized former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, for his recent remarks questioning the academic credentials of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, specifically his Chicago State University certificate.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, Eshanekpe described El-Rufai’s comments as “uncharitable and unbecoming of a supposed leader.”
The Mayor accused the former governor of stepping out of line, suggesting that El-Rufai’s critique of Tinubu’s credentials was more about personal grievances than national interest. He pointed out that the President’s Chicago certificate had become a tool for opposition groups to attack his integrity. “The President’s Chicago certificate has become a tool in the hands of opposition elements to blackmail and malign his integrity,” Eshanekpe remarked. He also challenged El-Rufai to provide any new information about the certificate that was not already known to Nigerians and the international community.
Eshanekpe also targeted El-Rufai’s affiliation with the Social Democratic Party, calling it a “gathering of election losers.” He dismissed El-Rufai’s criticisms of the Tinubu administration as deceptive, accusing him of speaking only for himself, rather than representing the interests of Nigerians. “Let El-Rufai tell Nigerians if he realized Tinubu’s supposed failure after he was denied ministerial screening or when he lost political relevance in the current administration where his son remains a member of the House of Representatives,” the Mayor stated.
The Mayor emphasized that the Northern region is well-represented in President Tinubu’s government and argued that only disgruntled politicians, driven by personal motives, were complaining. He further questioned El-Rufai’s silence during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, noting that El-Rufai never spoke out despite widespread hardship under Buhari’s leadership. “If Buhari’s administration, which left Nigerians gasping for breath, wasn’t a failure in El-Rufai’s eyes, then President Tinubu, who is working to clean up the inherited mess, is a massive success in less than two years,” Eshanekpe remarked.
The Mayor also accused El-Rufai of exhibiting tribal bias and selfishness, warning that attempts to undermine President Tinubu would ultimately fail. “All enemies of President Tinubu will fail woefully. They can dig out more baseless blackmail tools, but Nigerians won’t be deceived,” he added.
In addition to his remarks on Tinubu’s administration, Eshanekpe called on El-Rufai to account for his tenure as Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) under President Olusegun Obasanjo. He demanded answers on the privatization of national assets such as NITEL, Nigerian Airways, Nigerian Railways, and ALSCON. “Nigerians want to know what happened to these assets auctioned off under El-Rufai’s watch at give-away prices, leaving workers in misery,” the Mayor said.
Eshanekpe dismissed any further debates on Tinubu’s academic credentials, emphasizing that the matter had been settled by the Supreme Court. He stressed that Nigerians were now more focused on policies that would improve their lives. “Nigerians are no longer interested in certificate politics; they want food on their tables, human development, and a better Nigeria,” the Mayor asserted.
He further accused El-Rufai of suffering from political irrelevance, stating, “El-Rufai is paranoid. He’s struggling with political irrelevance. Nigerians are not buying it.” Eshanekpe also took aim at northern oligarchs, accusing them of hypocrisy for not criticizing Buhari for ethnic reasons but quickly attacking Tinubu, a southerner, who is working to reposition the country.
The Mayor concluded by reaffirming his support for President Tinubu, declaring that there would be “no vacancy in Aso Rock” in 2027. “Nigerians will overwhelmingly renew Tinubu’s mandate. El-Rufai and his SDP should wait for 2031. On Tinubu’s mandate, we stand firm,” he stated, urging Nigerians to disregard politicians driven by selfish motives rather than national progress.