By Nathaniel D. Dandasu, Policy Analyst and Political Historian
A friend forwarded me my post from two years ago where I said El-Rufai is more loved, popular, and politically stronger in the core North than any other politician. He is more popular than Atiku, Kwankwaso, and Shehu Sani, to mention but a few.
Why
The political culture in the North, particularly the core North, is deeply rooted in religious values first, before humanity, competence, tolerance, inclusivity and development.
It is not just about being Muslim, but about how far you have defended Islam at all costs, even if it means hurting non-believers. This has been the case from time immemorial. And while it is their belief, we cannot say it is totally wrong. Nigeria is a democracy and freedom of religion is enshrined.
El-Rufai openly appealed to the sentiments of many Muslims, especially in the core North, with his campaign for a Muslim ticket in 2019 while he was governor, the marginalization of the Christian community in Kaduna, and his attacks on the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN. This is a good religious manipulative skill in a society where political culture is religious.
This sat well with many core northerners who are overwhelmingly Muslim because to them “infidels,” “kafiri,” or “arna” especially “arnan Arewa” (Christians of the North) were being decisively dealt with in Kaduna. Going by extreme Islamic tradition, Christians should convert to Islam or be treated as slaves.
Meanwhile, Atiku, Kwankwaso, and Shehu Sani are moderate Muslims who believe in inclusion, tolerance, competence, humanity and development. They may have their shortcomings as humans.
In fact, Shehu Sani who often challenges El-Rufai has less support in the core North. To them, he is not a “devoted enough” Muslim. Atiku, Kwankwaso, and Shehu Sani have national spread and appeal compared to El-Rufai who has only religious and regional support.
See the support El-Rufai is gaining online after Christopher Musa, Minister of Defense, criticized his administration. And most of them are hurt because their champion has been spoken about and detained for months by the same government he helped bring to power.
On a general note, not all core Northerners are pleased with El-Rufai. Moderate Muslims are few. Let us say around or less than 10 percent.
Let me break it down further
Supporters or the fan base of El-Rufai, former FCT Minister and former governor of Kaduna State, fall into two categories:
1. Those whose parents, relatives, or themselves benefitted from his tyrannical and dictatorial eight-year rule as governor.
2. Those who are hardline Islamists. These people believe El-Rufai is doing exactly what a Muslim leader in power should do: subjugate, conquer, and dominate the “infidels.” In other words, Jihad.
Evidence of this is his Muslim ticket in Kaduna, and his proud claim that he initiated that Islamic political structure at the national level also in 2023 as a sign that Christians in Nigeria have been defeated, because this structure of Muslim dominance would be sustainable for more than 20 years. That is what he said.
Video evidence is online. Tap this link for more:
They see him as a “mujahid.” To his followers or like minds, Nigeria must be run like an Islamic theocracy. The second category or group is the majority.
Let no one deceive you. In the core North, the defender of the faith, no matter what he did or is doing wrong, is still the people’s hero. As usual, Islam first in anything a Muslim does.
So you can never wish away how deeply El-Rufai is rooted in the hearts of core Northerners. I stayed in the core North for over 30 years. These are what I hear being taught and see being practiced in daily life. They are facts that can be proven anywhere.
There are other leaders as well who are loved and share a similar ideology with El-Rufai, but he is more popular than them because he is blunt and a politician that did exactly what he said, especially when he is in power. El-Rufai is popularly called “dodan arna” translated as giant of the unbelievers. It is not something hidden. They post such statements on social media cheering him. Make no mistake about El-Rufai’s popularity in the core North.
Back to Christopher Musa
Christopher Musa is the current Minister of Defense and the man whose interview with Channels TV on 3rd September 2026 sparked backlash from the El-Rufai fan base because their principal is hit hard. Were the claims raised by General Christopher Musa true or false? I want them to answer this one million dollar question.
El-Rufai is from Kaduna, Christopher Musa is from Kaduna, and geographically they are northerners. Would someone in a presidency like El-Rufai and his likes give the position of federal Minister of Defense to a northern Christian (arnan Arewa) as they often say?
General Christopher Musa’s appointment did not sit well with most of the hardline Islamists from the North. Forget the earlier celebration on social media on both his appointment as Chief of Defense Staff and now federal Minister of Defense.
To hardline Islamists, anything from the North coming from government, be it state, regional, or federal, should be for Muslims, and not just any Muslims but preferably from the Fulani tribe. Why? Because it is conquered territory by a Fulani scholar named Usman Dan Fodio in his Jihad of 1804. Though in the core North to be precise, demographically, the Hausa tribe is the majority. Not just majority, the overwhelming majority.
So Christians from the North or to say the Middle Belt often get juicy appointments and infrastructure when a Southerner irrespective of his faith or tribe is in power. Make your comparison from 1999 to 2026.
Lastly
I keep asking: why is Islam in the Middle Belt and Southern Nigeria practiced differently? Or are they not “Muslim enough” for practicing tolerance and inclusivity?
