Former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has described former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai as “a very difficult person to advise,” urging him to focus on clearing his name over corruption allegations.
Baba-Ahmed spoke on Tuesday during Political Paradigm, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, amid a growing public dispute between El-Rufai and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. He suggested that El-Rufai should limit his battles and concentrate on addressing claims of misappropriating public funds. “By temperament, Mallam El-Rufai is by character a very difficult person to advise,” he added.
He emphasized that the allegations against both figures should not be dismissed as political theatre but tested through the judicial process. “All these weighty issues must be brought to the disposal of the courts. We must know the truth or otherwise of these allegations; we cannot sweep them aside on the grounds that this is politics,” Baba-Ahmed said.
The dispute escalated after El-Rufai accused Ribadu of ordering his “abduction” at Abuja airport, claiming associates intercepted instructions for security operatives to detain him. El-Rufai also alleged that the NSA was manipulating anti-corruption investigations and the Kaduna State House of Assembly for political purposes linked to an alleged 2031 presidential ambition. He raised concerns over the reported procurement of thallium sulphate by the NSA’s office, demanding public clarification. Ribadu has denied all claims, maintaining that agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission operate independently.
Reflecting on the breakdown of their relationship, Baba-Ahmed said the feud highlighted deeper problems in Nigeria’s political culture. “It is very saddening to see a relationship of this nature degenerate to the point that two friends are now threatening legal action against each other,” he said, noting that both men had been close professionally and personally since the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and through El-Rufai’s tenure as Kaduna governor.
