KEY POINTS

• Baba-Ahmed says allegations against El-Rufai and counter-claims involving Ribadu should be tested in court, not dismissed as politics.
• The dispute marks a dramatic collapse of a long-standing alliance between the two influential figures.
• El-Rufai now faces cybercrime charges and ongoing corruption investigations, further intensifying the controversy.

Former presidential adviser Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has urged that the allegations involving former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai be resolved through the courts rather than dismissed as political quarrels.

Speaking on a televised programme, he argued that claims ranging from corruption accusations to security-related allegations are serious legal matters that must be tested through due process.

According to him, only judicial review can determine their truth or falsehood and prevent them from being trivialised as mere political rivalry.

The remarks come amid a widening dispute between El-Rufai and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, which has heightened political tension.

El-Rufai alleged that Ribadu ordered security operatives to detain him at Abuja airport and claimed associates overheard such instructions through intercepted communications.

He also accused the NSA of influencing anti-corruption investigations and legislative probes for political reasons tied to a supposed future presidential ambition. Ribadu has denied all allegations, insisting he has no such ambitions and that investigative agencies act independently.

Controversy Over Chemical Procurement Claim

Another issue raised by El-Rufai concerns the alleged purchase of thallium sulphate by the Office of the National Security Adviser, which he says requires public clarification.

Baba-Ahmed maintained that claims of this magnitude should be examined transparently within legal frameworks rather than debated in the court of public opinion.

Baba-Ahmed described the breakdown in relations between the two men as troubling for Nigeria’s political culture, noting that their once-close friendship has deteriorated sharply.

He said the hostility illustrates how deeply political conflicts can damage personal alliances and warned that escalating disputes between former allies could have wider consequences for governance and public trust.

The fallout is striking because both figures were once part of the reform-minded circle around former president Olusegun Obasanjo, sometimes called the “Obasanjo Boys.” During that era, Ribadu led the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission while El-Rufai served as minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Their relationship extended beyond official roles and included close personal ties throughout El-Rufai’s tenure as Kaduna governor.