El-Rufai faces legal battles and fallout with Tinubu
Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai has experienced a dramatic shift in his relationship with President Bola Tinubu. Once political rivals, they became allies during the 2023 election, only for their alliance to later collapse. El-Rufai now faces multiple legal challenges, including corruption charges and political isolation. The situation has sparked debate over whether his prosecution is politically motivated or a matter of accountability.
Key takeaways
- Nasir El-Rufai was a vocal critic of Bola Tinubu before eventually supporting him during the 2023 presidential campaign.
- On May 4, 2019, El-Rufai urged Lagos stakeholders to confront godfatherism, a comment seen as targeting Tinubu.
- On May 25, 2020, El-Rufai publicly restated his distance from Tinubu during a webinar.
- El-Rufai’s ministerial nomination was rejected by the Senate, reportedly due to security concerns and rivalry with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
- After resigning from the APC on March 10, 2025, El-Rufai faced investigations and was indicted by the Kaduna State House of Assembly on June 5, 2024 over alleged misappropriation of over N423bn.
- On February 11, El-Rufai expressed fears of arrest; he was detained by the EFCC from February 16 to February 18 and later taken into ICPC custody.
- The DSS filed charges in case FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, accusing El-Rufai of unlawfully intercepting the NSA’s telephone lines.
- El-Rufai was arraigned on 10 counts before Justice Rilwan Aikawa and the case was adjourned to March 31, 2026.
- The Court of Appeal in Kaduna, on March 17, 2026, set aside a previous judgment against El-Rufai and ordered a retrial.
- While in custody, El-Rufai was granted temporary bail after his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, died in Cairo, Egypt.
