Presidency accuses El-Rufai of plotting unrest to divert attention from N432bn probe

THE presidency has accused former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, of deliberately stoking political anxiety in the country in a bid to shift public focus away from alleged N432 billion corruption claims linked to his administration.

According to the presidency, Mr El-Rufai’s recent public comments and his letter to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, were not motivated by genuine concern, but by a calculated strategy to misinform the public, provoke fear and recast himself as a victim.

The former governor had written to the NSA seeking clarification over what he described as the alleged importation of thallium sulphate from Poland. In the letter, El-Rufai stated that information available to leaders of opposition political parties indicated that ONSA had allegedly procured about 10 kilograms of the chemical from a supplier based in Poland. He noted that the reported transaction raised red flags, given the strict controls that normally surrounded substances of such high toxicity.

However, the presidency insisted that no such substance was procured or brought into Nigeria through the Office of the NSA.

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In a post on his verified X account, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Temitope Ajayi, dismissed El-Rufai’s claims as false and misleading. He maintained that the narrative was intended to unsettle the public and undermine the Federal Government.

Ajayi further stated that El-Rufai had already received a response from the NSA’s office but deliberately withheld it from the public.

“He got a reply from the NSA and should show it, just as he chose to release his own letter. The selective disclosure is part of a calculated attempt to mislead Nigerians,” Mr Ajayi said.

The presidency said Mr El-Rufai’s actions were driven by two main motives: to destabilise the political atmosphere with misinformation and to divert attention from the serious corruption allegations he was facing in Kaduna State.

“His recent conduct is about creating tension in the country and damaging the government with false claims. At the same time, it is meant to shift focus from the weighty corruption allegations hanging over him in Kaduna,” the statement said.

Mt Ajayi added that Mr El-Rufai was trying to “export his local troubles to the national stage” because, in its view, he could not secure public sympathy over the N432 billion claims.

The presidency also questioned his political standing in Kaduna, wondering how a former governor who spent 8 years in office could lose the backing of key political stakeholders so quickly.

He recalled that the Kaduna State House of Assembly had forwarded a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), with all 28 lawmakers reportedly endorsing a request for a full investigation into the allegations.

According to the presidency, the anti-graft agencies had since invited El-Rufai for questioning. Urging him to face the allegations head-on, Mr Ajayi advised the former governor to concentrate on clearing his name rather than engaging in what it described as political drama and media stunts.