Same DNA as El-Rufai: big demolitions, mass teacher sackings, court fights, then a bid for national relevance.
Sidebar: 5 Governors (and Ministers) Who Ran the El-Rufai Playbook
The playbook they all share:
Announce a crisis: “Fake teachers,” “illegal structures,” “ghost workers.”
Act before auditing: Bulldozers roll and sack letters fly before court orders or data.
Frame it as reform: “Master plan,” “competency,” “security.”
Fight in court, not at the ballot: Injunctions, contempt charges, and arraignments become part of the brand.
Exit into opposition: When term ends, become the loudest critic of the system you ran.
El-Rufai didn’t invent this. He just executed it with Harvard slides and Fulani quotes. That’s why the story resonates: Nigerians have seen the demolitions before — they just change the hard hat.
Add this box and your piece stops being about one man. It becomes a mirror.