Baba-Ahmed urges El-Rufai to ‘stop digging’ amid corruption claims

A former special adviser on political matters to Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has criticised former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai over his recent actions as corruption allegations trail him.

Speaking on Political Paradigm, a programme on Channels Television, Baba-Ahmed described El-Rufai as a difficult person to advise, suggesting that the former governor’s public responses have deepened his troubles rather than eased them.

He noted that the Federal Government appears determined to pursue the allegations, claiming it has evidence of financial misconduct during El-Rufai’s tenure in Kaduna State. According to Baba-Ahmed, instead of containing the damage, the former governor has escalated tensions through repeated public interventions.

Drawing on a proverb about stopping the digging when one finds oneself in a ditch, Baba-Ahmed argued that El-Rufai has continued to compound his challenges by widening the scope of the controversy surrounding him.

He noted that beyond the corruption allegations, El-Rufai had made remarks on live television indicating involvement in the interception of a telephone conversation linked to Nuhu Ribadu. Although the former governor admitted such an act would be illegal, he reportedly claimed such practices are common within government.

Baba-Ahmed also criticised El-Rufai’s decision to write to the National Security Adviser requesting clarification over reports that the Office of the National Security Adviser procured about 10 kilogrammes of thallium sulphate. He questioned how far the former governor intended to take the dispute while facing multiple allegations.

“Well, I’m saying that if I was advising Nasiru under these very difficult circumstances, I would have said, one, you’re a very prominent member of the ADC. You are more useful to the ADC as a free man, not encumbered by a lot of allegations and fights. There are just so many, so few fronts that you’ll fight. So try and limit the damage,” he said.

The comments come amid heightened controversy, including reports of an alleged attempt by security operatives to arrest El-Rufai at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport upon his return from Cairo.