El-Rufai tackles Ribadu over Najaatu Mohammed, says ‘silence is no longer golden’

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has called out National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, asserting that Ribadu previously labeled President Bola Tinubu as corrupt during his tenure as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), El-Rufai stated:
“Nuhu must have serious amnesia. Najaatu’s statement is accurate. The record of proceedings in the Senate will confirm that Nuhu made those statements sometime in 2006.”
He made this remark in response to comments by political activist Najaatu Mohammed, who accused the NSA of hypocrisy for allegedly calling Tinubu corrupt in the past.
Najaatu maintained that Ribadu had labeled Tinubu as the most corrupt governor while serving as EFCC chairman.
El-Rufai referenced Senate records, a 2007 Daily Trust report, and Federal Executive Council conclusions from 2006 as evidence supporting Mohammed’s claims. He emphasized that these documents could be subpoenaed to substantiate the allegations.
This development follows Ribadu’s demand for a public apology and retraction from Mohammed over her statements in a TikTok video, where she accused him of serving in Tinubu’s government despite previously criticizing him.
Through his lawyer, Ahmed Raji, Ribadu refuted the allegations, stating he had never made such remarks and that the claims had caused him “unquantifiable damage.”
A letter dated February 4, 2025, and signed by Dr. Raji, reads:
“Clearly, in the text of your recording (reproduced and translated above), you stated that when our client served as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), he allegedly named President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, alongside Sen. George Akume and Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu (all former governors, in that order) as those who stole the most from the public treasury.
“You also stated that today, our client, who once held the above odious view about President Tinubu, has turned around to be his staunchest defender—especially regarding what you described as the government’s agenda to silence dissenting voices, citing the alleged arrest of a certain Prof. Usman Yusuf as an example.
“You further stated that our client’s alleged change in attitude toward President Tinubu means that he has either become a liar or that he lied when he allegedly described President Tinubu, Sen. Akume, Sen. Kalu, and other governors as thieves.”