El-Rufai’s recent tantrums aim to fuel fear, dodge EFCC, ICPC probes—Presidency
The Presidency has accused former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai of attempting to “create an atmosphere of fear and unrest” and spreading deliberate misinformation to undermine the government.
In a statement, Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Bola Tinubu, said El-Rufai’s recent actions, including a letter to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) seeking details on the purported procurement of odorless thallium sulphate from Poland, were politically motivated.
According to Ajayi, “El-Rufai’s intentions are twofold: first, to generate political tension and damage the government through misinformation; second, to divert attention from his domestic problems in Kaduna State, where he is facing massive corruption allegations. By nationalising his personal issues with the state government, he aims to portray himself as a victim of persecution, despite Nigerians being unlikely to support him over the corruption charges.”
Ajayi stressed that El-Rufai was fully aware that no such government procurement occurred through the NSA’s office. He also noted that El-Rufai received a response to his letter, which, according to Ajayi, should have been released publicly alongside his initial correspondence.
The Presidency’s statement further highlighted El-Rufai’s loss of political support in Kaduna State. “The former governor lost the backing of the state’s critical stakeholders, including the current governor, and all 28 members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, who endorsed a petition to the ICPC and EFCC to investigate him over N432 billion in alleged corruption,” Ajayi said.
Background
El‑Rufai recently made headlines after security operatives reportedly tried to detain him at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja upon his return to the country from Cairo, Egypt. El‑Rufai claimed during a prime‑time interview on Arise TV that the alleged attempt to arrest him was linked to directives from the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, admitting that he listened to a tapped phone call from NSA Nuhu Ribadu.
Amid this tense backdrop, El‑Rufai on Sunday released a letter he wrote to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) via his official X account seeking clarification over reports that the agency procured about 10 kilograms of thallium sulphate, a highly toxic and tightly regulated chemical, from a supplier in Poland. In his letter he described the situation as a public‑safety concern and called for transparency on the purpose, authorisation and oversight of the alleged procurement, copying his correspondence to health and regulatory agencies.
