Kano-based politician Najatu Muhammadu has vowed not to retract or apologise over her statement regarding Nuhu Ribadu’s past comments on corruption allegations against President Bola Tinubu.
Muhammadu’s response follows a demand from Ribadu, now the National Security Adviser (NSA), for a public apology and retraction over her remarks in a viral TikTok video.
The dispute began after Muhammadu alleged that Ribadu, during his tenure as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had accused Tinubu, George Akume, and Orji Kalu of corruption.
Ribadu, through his lawyer Ahmed Raji, denied making such statements and demanded a retraction within seven days, threatening legal action if she failed to comply.
In a statement, Muhammadu dismissed Ribadu’s demands, stating, “I will not retract my statement, nor will I apologise for speaking the truth as I see it.”
She accused Ribadu of attempting to intimidate her through legal threats and other means.
“If you, Nuhu Ribadu, take issue with my words, you are welcome to act as you see fit.
I will not be pressured, intimidated, or silenced. Do what you must—I stand by what I said,” she said.
Muhammadu further claimed she had been informed of plans to arrest or harm her.
“I have, over the past 48 hours, received multiple phone calls informing me that you, Nuhu Ribadu, seek to send your attack dogs to arrest me or harm me on Monday, the 10th of February 2025,” she said.
She criticised what she described as a misuse of power, questioning why security agencies allegedly notify people before arresting them.
“If early notification before arrest is the new standard of operations for your attack dogs, Nigerians must stop wondering why known terrorists and bandits continue to evade arrest while truth sayers and patriots are being oppressed, detained, and threatened,” she said.
Muhammadu also alleged an attempt to manipulate the judiciary to force her into submission.
“Finally, I have just received reliable information that there is an existing attempt to subvert the judiciary to further intimidate me or to force me into retracting my statement,” she said.
She accused Ribadu of failing in his role as NSA, declaring, “This undemocratic abuse of office by Nuhu Ribadu simply underscores his failure as the NSA.
“He has failed the nation, he has failed his masters, and he has failed himself.”
Despite Ribadu’s threats of legal action, Muhammadu insisted she would not back down.
“No amount of intimidation will stop me from speaking the truth and telling those in power the truth.
“The truth today is that Nuhu Ribadu is an absolute failure who has no track record of success as NSA. Shikenan,” she said.
The situation continues to escalate as Ribadu maintains that Muhammadu’s comments have caused “unquantifiable” damage to his reputation.
His lawyer, Raji, stated that legal action would be pursued if she failed to comply with the retraction and apology demand.
Meanwhile, former Kaduna State governor, Nasiru El-Rufai has earlier backed Muhammadu in her claim that Ribadu previously accused President Tinubu of being “the most corrupt politician.”
While supporting her stance, El-Rufai stated that Ribadu “must have serious amnesia” for denying the statement.
In defence of Muhammadu, El-Rufai in an X post on Wednesday affirmed that Ribadu had, in fact, made the allegations while heading the EFCC in 2006.
“Naja’atu’s statement is accurate,” El-Rufai declared.
“The record of proceedings in the Senate will confirm that Nuhu made those statements, sometime in 2006.”
He posted a newspaper page along with the tweet, saying the “subsequent Daily Trust report below of February 2007, reconfirms the essence of the statements”.
El-Rufai further cited official government records to support Mohammed’s claim.
“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,” he stated.
He revealed that during a special FEC meeting in 2006, Ribadu’s EFCC had presented similar accusations against multiple government officials, including Tinubu.
“In that Special FEC meeting in which I was a member, Nuhu’s EFCC made similar presentations accusing many sitting officials, sometime in 2006,” El-Rufai noted.
