Reno Omokri, a former presidential aide, has launched a scathing attack on Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State. Omokri describes El-Rufai as a “drowning man” desperately trying to drag Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, down with him.
According to Omokri, El-Rufai’s frustration stems from being increasingly sidelined in both state and national politics. He claims El-Rufai lost influence in Kaduna, where the governor refused to be his loyal ally, and also missed out on becoming a minister due to petitions from Kaduna residents alleging his involvement in paying killer herdsmen.
Omokri’s statement comes amidst a heated exchange between El-Rufai and Ribadu, with El-Rufai attempting to discredit Ribadu using a 2006 statement. However, Omokri argues that Ribadu never specifically accused anyone, including Bola Tinubu, of corruption.
Omokri added that El-Rufai is now turning his attention to Malam Nuhu Ribadu, a man widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most principled public servants.
El-Rufai recently resurfaced with claims allegedly implicating Ribadu, the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in past corruption-related remarks against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
However, Omokri insisted that a closer look at the evidence provided by El-Rufai suggests that his assertions lack substance.
“In a 2006 statement, Ribadu made a general remark about all serving governors at the time, stating that they were fortunate not to have faced the same fate as convicted former Governors Joshua Dariye and Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
“Contrary to el-Rufai’s claims, Ribadu did not single out or accuse then-Governor Tinubu of corruption, nor did he confirm that an EFCC investigation had found him guilty of any wrongdoing,” the statement read.
Omokri argued that Ribadu’s statement was part of a broader law enforcement strategy aimed at deterring corruption among political officeholders, similar to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s “show of force” tactics.
“The EFCC, at the time still in its infancy, sought to establish its authority and reinforce the perception that all public officials were under scrutiny.
“In 2010, he was a vocal critic of then-General Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as ‘perpetually unelectable’ due to his authoritarian past. Just months later, el-Rufai aligned himself with Buhari, becoming one of his most ardent supporters,” he said.
