Former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has taken sides with political activist and leader of Northern Star, Naja’atu Muhammad, who is currently having a running battle with National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
The fight is over a video she posted on Tiktok accusing Ribadu of once accusing President Bola Tinubu, George Akume (now minister of special duties), and Orji Kalu (current senator for Abia North) of corruption when he was Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Muhammad has also criticised Ribadu for now working in a government led by people he had previously criticised while they all served as state governors.
While reacting to the video, Ribadu had denied making the comments and had demanded a public apology and retraction from Muhammad over what he described as malicious comments and defamation of his person.
In a letter sent to Muhammad on Tuesday by Ribadu’s lawyer, Ahmed Raji, the NSA warned that if Mohammad failed to apologize and retract the video, he would be forced to take legal actions against her.
“Our client will be assuaged if you retract the said publication and tender an unreserved public apology to him in at least five national daily newspapers within seven days of receipt of this letter,” part of the letter read.
“If not, we have our client’s further instructions to seek redress against you in a court of law where exemplary damages will be claimed against you.
“The damage occasioned to our client by your deliberate but ill-advised action is unquantifiable. We also challenge you to provide evidence of your allegations,” it added.
However, while Mohammad has insisted that she stands by her comments and has dared Ribadu to do his worst, El-Rufai has also rallied behind her by providing evidence from an old newspaper publication where the NSA allegedly made the statement.
In a post he shared on his X page on Wednesday, El-Rufai said Ribadu must be suffering from amnesia since his comments in 2006 on the three former governors are still in public domain.
In the post titled “POLITICAL UPDATE: Najaatu Mohammed vs. Nuhu Ribadu – Nuhu must have serious amnesia,’ the former Kaduna governor said:
“Najaatu’s statement is accurate. The record of proceedings in the Senate will confirm that Nuhu made those statements, sometime in 2006.
“The subsequent Daily Trust report below of February 2007, reconfirms the essence of the statements.
“The conclusions of the Federal Executive Council in 2006, which can be subpoenaed from the Cabinet Secretariat of the SGF’s office contain the allegations.
“In that Special FEC meeting in which I was a member, Nuhu’s EFCC made similar presentations accusing many sitting officials, sometime in 2006.
“These Council Conclusions will further remove all doubts.
“This is for the record and to remind the morally-flexible that at some point in our national life, silence is no longer golden.”