Former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has intervened in the escalating dispute between National Security Adviser (NSA) Malam Nuhu Ribadu and Hajia Naja’atu Muhammad, a former Commissioner at the Police Service Commission (PSC).
The controversy began when Ribadu demanded a public apology and retraction from Muhammad over a TikTok video in which she accused him of hypocrisy regarding President Bola Tinubu.
In the video, Muhammad alleged that Ribadu, during his tenure as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had criticized Tinubu as one of the most corrupt governors in Nigeria, yet now serves in Tinubu’s administration. Ribadu, through his lawyer Dr. Ahmed Raji (SAN), denied ever making such statements publicly or privately and described the damage caused by the video as “unquantifiable.”
In a letter dated February 4, 2025, Ribadu’s lawyer stated:
“Clearly, in the text of your recording [reproduced and translated above] you stated that when our client served as the 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, and in that order] as the governors in Nigeria 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 about what you stated to be the government’s agenda to silence voices of dissent to the government, citing the alleged arrest of a certain Prof. Usman Yusuf as an example.
“You also stated that our client’s alleged attitudinal change towards 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.”
In response, Muhammad maintained her position, asserting that the records of Ribadu’s past statements were publicly available. “I have no reason to tender any apology,” she said.
El-Rufai came to Muhammad’s defence, directly challenging Ribadu’s denial and taunting him by saying, “Nuhu must have serious amnesia.” El-Rufai cited multiple sources to corroborate Muhammad’s claims.
“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,” El-Rufai said.
He further referenced a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in 2006 where Ribadu, as EFCC Chairman, allegedly made similar accusations.
“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.”
El-Rufai concluded his remarks with a pointed critique of Ribadu’s actions, stating, “This is for the record and to remind the morally flexible that at some point in our national life, silence is no longer golden.”