Tag: Nasir El-Rufai

“Tinubu worse than military; wants to be Nigeria’s Paul Biya!” – El-Rufa’i 

Aminu Imam
El Rufa'i on Asiwaju

…“He needs counselling” – Presidency hits back Former Kaduna State governor Nasir el-Rufa’i has launched a blistering attack on President Bola Tinubu’s administration, branding it “worse than any military regime” and warning that the President harbours ambitions to become “Nigeria’s Paul Biya”. Speaking while hosting former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in Kaduna over the weekend, el-Rufa’i accused the Tinubu government of centralizing power, stifling opposition, and betraying the democratic ideals of federalism. He declared that unless Nigerians unite to remove Tinubu in 2027, the president could attempt to perpetuate himself in…

Read More

El-Rufa’i’s ’22 Sins’: Civic Group links ex-Gov. to Shi’ite massacre, ₦423bn fraud, divisive politics

Aminu Imam
Northern youths on el Rufa'i

…Warns Nigerians not to repackage him for 2027 The Kaduna Leadership and Accountability Assembly, (KLAA), has urged Nigerians to reject any attempt to “rebrand” former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufa’i ahead of the 2027 elections, accusing him of a legacy marked by violence, corruption, and religious intolerance. In a statement issued yesterday, KLAA spokesperson, Hadiza Mohammed Umar, listed what the group described as “22 sins” of el-Rufa’i, insisting his record in power disqualified him from future leadership. The civic group accused the former governor of direct responsibility for the 2015…

Read More

“Master of contradiction; you once supported, paid bandits” – Presidency blasts el-Rufa’i

Aminu Imam
Presidency slams el Rufa'i

The Presidency has accused former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufa’i, of double standards in his position on negotiations with bandits. In a post on X on Monday, Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, described el-Rufa’i as a “master of ambivalence”. He alleged that the former governor once spearheaded the payment of bandits in a bid to restore peace, but now criticizes such measures for political reasons. He said: “Nasir el-Rufa’i is the master of ambivalence. Once upon a time, he supported and led the way in paying bandits to calm them. Today,…

Read More

NGO drags el-Rufa’i to EFCC over alleged ₦10bn school feeding scam, ₦4.5bn farmers’ fund missing, $6m vanished loan vanished

Aminu Imam
NGO drags el Rufa'i to EFCC2

…Warns EFCC of legal action if probe is ignored A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Transparency Honesty Disclosure Trust (THDT), has filed a public interest petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), demanding the probe of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufa’i, over what it described as “massive corruption, mismanagement, and reckless looting of public funds” during his 8-year tenure. In the petition, dated September 8, 2025, THDT cited the Kaduna State House of Assembly’s June 6, 2024 report, which it said exposed procurement frauds, inflated contracts, diversion of billions,…

Read More

El-Rufa’i blasts Kaduna  Police, rejects summon over ADC meeting

Aminu Imam
El Rufa’i Kaduna Police

…Says CP ‘violating Constitution’ Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufa’i, has come out swinging against the Kaduna State Police Command after being summoned over a disrupted African Democratic Congress (ADC) meeting. Police had sealed the ADC venue, accusing el-Rufa’i and seven others of criminal conspiracy, incitement, mischief and causing grievous hurt. The Command ordered the ADC chairman to produce el-Rufa’i at the State CID on September 8. El-Rufa’i, however, fired back at a press conference yesterday, describing the summon as illegal, unconstitutional and politically motivated. “The commissioner knows what he…

Read More

Alleged  criminal activities: Kaduna Police summon el-Rufa’i, 7 other ADC leaders for questioning

Aminu Imam
Police summon el Rufa'i

Kaduna State Police Command has invited former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufa’i, alongside several prominent members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), for questioning over alleged criminal conspiracy, incitement of public disturbance, mischief, and causing grievous hurt. A police letter, dated September 4, 2025, and signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Uzainu Abdullahi, directed the ADC Kaduna State Chairman to produce El-Rufai and six other party members at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) on September 8, 2025. Those listed in…

Read More

Mahdi Shehu accuses el-Rufa’i of paying bandits during his tenure as Gov.

Aminu Imam
Mahdi Shehu accuses

Human rights activist, Mahdi Shehu, has accused former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufa’I, of hypocrisy over his recent comments on the country’s security strategies. Reacting to el-Rufa’i’s interview, Shehu described it as ironic for the ex-governor to criticise the incumbent governor, Uba Sani and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribaɗu, for allegedly making payments to bandits, when, according to him, el-Rufa’i himself once admitted to taking similar steps. Shehu cited a report which noted that el-Rufai’s administration had tracked armed herders in neighbouring countries and provided compensation to halt attacks…

Read More

Hate Speech: “Declare el-Rufa’i global persona-non-grata” – Rights group urges USA, UK

Aminu Imam
Group urges USA, UK

A human rights advocacy group, the Transparency and Accountability Network (TAN), has appealed to United Nations (UN) and world powers to declare former Kaduna state Governor, Nasir el-Rufa’i global ‘persona non grata’.  The group also called on the international community to slam the former Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, with entry denial into their countries, describing him as a ‘merchant of hate’, whose actions and utterances threaten peace and humanity. In an open letter addressed to the UN Secretary-General, Ambassadors and High Commissioners of the United Kingdom, the United…

Read More

Presidency slams Daily Trust, el-Rufa’i, Obi, Amaechi in fierce defence of Tinubu

Aminu Imam
Presidency slams

The Presidency has intensified its defence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, taking aim at both sections of the media and leading opposition figures. In separate posts on his verified X handle, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, accused Daily Trust newspaper of peddling “malicious fiction” and denounced former governors Nasir el-Rufa’i, Peter Obi, and Rotimi Amaechi as “political laggards”. Onanuga said Daily Trust newspaper had become “a source not to be trusted”, alleging it consistently distorts facts, fuels regional and religious tensions, and sacrifices…

Read More

“My backing of Muslim-Muslim ticket was political” – El-Rufa’i

Aminu Imam
El Rufa'i Asiwaju

…Says Tinubu’ll crash out in 2027 Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufa’i, has defended his support for the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 presidential election, describing it as a purely political strategy — while at the same time predicting that President Bola Tinubu will fare poorly in the 2027 polls. Speaking on a television programme on Sunday, el-Rufai said the pairing of Tinubu and Kashim Shettima had “nothing to do with religion”, but was designed solely to secure electoral victory. According to him,  “It was…

Read More