El-Rufai claims Ribadu is plotting a northern purge to clear the path for a 2031 presidential bid.
ABUJA, Nigeria — In a bombshell revelation that has rocked Nigeria’s political arena, former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai has levelled severe allegations against National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
Speaking in a high-profile interview on Arise TV on Monday, El-Rufai claimed that Ribadu is masterminding a covert campaign to destroy his reputation—an attack he attributes to Ribadu’s burning ambition to vie for the presidency in 2031.
According to El-Rufai, Ribadu has not been acting alone. He alleges that the National Security Adviser is in cahoots with Kaduna’s Governor Uba Sani and is leveraging the powers of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to engineer a systematic character assassination.
“This project of destroying Nasir El-Rufai is Nuhu Ribadu’s conception. He is the architect and builder of that project. He is the one working with Uba Sani to implement it. So far, it has been frustrating for them,” El-Rufai stated, underscoring the personal nature of the alleged vendetta.
The implications of these explosive claims are manifold. Ribadu, once widely celebrated for his uncompromising stance on corruption and his role in spearheading anti-corruption drives, now finds himself implicated in what many perceive as a politically motivated smear campaign.
El-Rufai’s assertions paint a picture of a manoeuvre designed not merely to discredit a political rival, but to purge any influential northerner who could potentially stand in the way of Ribadu’s ascendancy to the nation’s highest office.
Political analysts have long warned that Nigeria’s security and anti-corruption institutions could be vulnerable to exploitation by ambitious power brokers. The involvement of the ICPC—a body that has historically been revered for its relative independence—adds a layer of complexity to the matter.
If these allegations hold water, the use of such an institution as a political weapon would mark a dangerous precedent, undermining the integrity of Nigeria’s fight against corruption and destabilising public confidence in governmental oversight.
Furthermore, the alignment between Ribadu and Governor Uba Sani, as alleged by El-Rufai, suggests a broader strategy aimed at realigning power structures within northern Nigeria ahead of the 2031 presidential race.
This assertion is especially contentious in light of Nigeria’s history of political infighting, where rival factions have often engaged in covert and overt acts of subterfuge to eliminate potential threats.
El-Rufai’s warning—“Somebody wants to destroy my reputation. Why? Nuhu Ribadu wants to be president in 2031. He has to eliminate every northerner that he thinks is on the radar.”—resonates as a stark caution against unchecked ambition.
As Nigeria braces for what could be a protracted political confrontation, questions abound regarding the motivations and future moves of both Ribadu and El-Rufai.
Will Ribadu’s alleged plot unfold into a broader campaign of political repression, or is this merely a flashpoint in an ongoing struggle for power within the northern political elite?
With both men commanding significant influence, the coming months are poised to be a turbulent period, potentially reshaping the landscape of Nigerian politics.
Atlantic Post remains committed to providing incisive, balanced coverage of this developing story. As more details emerge, our analysis will continue to scrutinise the ramifications of these bold allegations on the future of Nigeria’s political integrity and democratic processes.
- Additional report by Suleiman Adamu, Atlantic Post Senior National Security Correspondent
