Dr. Bashir Jamoh, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and immediate past director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has officially debunked media reports that quoted him as saying former governor Nasir el-Rufai is still an APC stakeholder. The denial was made on Saturday amidst swirling speculations about El-Rufai’s political allegiance.
The reports, published by some media platforms, had claimed that Jamoh made the declaration during a press conference in Kaduna. however, in a statement released on saturday, jamoh described the publications as “fabricated” and a “gross misrepresentation of facts,” stating that he made no such comments to any media organization.
The clarification comes after earlier news reports had quoted Jamoh acknowledging El-Rufai’s association with other parties but insisting that the former governor had not officially left the APC. jamoh’s denial seeks to set the record straight on the political status of the former governor, who is now a leading figure in a national coalition of opposition parties.
NAN also recalls that El-Rufai had recently resigned his membership of the ruling party, pitching tent with opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former APC chieftain initially aligned with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ,before joining the National Coalition of Opposition Party, which has adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a political platform ahead of 2027 .
Jamoh, in a statement on Saturday, described the reports as false and misleading, claiming that he did not make the reported comments anywhere.
“My attention has been drawn to a misleading publication circulated by some media outfits on the 7th and 8th of August, 2025, falsely claiming that I stated former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, is still a member of the APC.
“I wish to categorically state that I made no such statement to any media organisation. The report is entirely fabricated and a gross misrepresentation of facts.
“I urge the public to disregard the said publication in its entirety and treat it as fake news.
“I remain committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, and will continue to stand for truth, accountability, and responsible public discourse,” Jamoh said.
