Former Kaduna State Governor and ex-FCT Minister Nasir El-Rufai has dismissed reports suggesting he stated the 2027 Nigerian presidency should go to the South.

El-Rufai addressed a widely circulated tweet by ADC News (@AdcNews_) that quoted him saying, “I refused to contest in 2027 because it is the turn of the South.” The tweet had attracted over 57,000 views by Saturday night.

In a statement on Monday, El-Rufai stressed that only views explicitly expressed on his verified social media accounts or during interviews with reputable media outlets should be attributed to him. He also clarified that sharing opinion articles by others does not indicate his personal endorsement.

“The wilful attribution to me of claims I did not make by a fake news platform is no excuse to treat such platforms seriously,” he said, calling for verification before posting statements online.

El-Rufai reiterated that the reports circulating were false, stating, “I did not say so in any of my speeches, interviews, or social media posts. I have my own verifiable platforms where I speak my mind.”

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) noted that zoning is not currently a priority. The party has three potential presidential contenders: former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the North, and Peter Obi and Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi from the South.