The Unravelling: How El-Rufai and Ribadu's Alliance Collapsed into Political Warfare
The deterioration of Nigeria's most prominent political friendship reveals deeper fractures in the country's governance, as calls grow for judicial rather than political resolution of allegations against the former Kaduna governor.
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The corridors of Abuja have witnessed many political divorces, but few have been as spectacular—or as consequential—as the disintegration of the relationship between Nasir El-Rufai and Nuhu Ribadu. What began as a formidable alliance between two of Nigeria's most prominent reformers has descended into a personal feud that now threatens to reshape the contours of Nigerian politics.
According to an analysis by Oluwafemi Popoola published in Legit.ng, the friendship between the former Kaduna State governor and the erstwhile chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has unraveled in Nigeria's high-stakes corridors of power. The transformation from allies to adversaries speaks to something larger than personal animosity—it reflects the volatile nature of Nigerian political alliances, where yesterday's comrades become today's antagonists with startling speed.
The two men once represented the face of anti-corruption reform in Nigeria. Ribadu, as EFCC chairman under President Olusegun Obasanjo, pursued powerful figures with prosecutorial zeal. El-Rufai, serving as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, demolished illegal structures regardless of who owned them. Their shared commitment to institutional reform and their willingness to challenge entrenched interests created a natural bond. They were, in the public imagination, warriors against the old order.
From Brotherhood to Battlefield
The precise moment when the relationship soured remains subject to speculation, but the consequences are now playing out in full public view. What transforms such alliances into enmities in Nigerian politics is rarely ideological—it is almost always personal, transactional, or both. In a political culture where loyalty is currency and betrayal is common, even the strongest bonds prove fragile when power dynamics shift.
The current tensions have been amplified by allegations surrounding El-Rufai's tenure as Kaduna governor, accusations that have sparked debate about how such matters should be resolved. Speaking on Channels Television's Political Paradigm programme on Tuesday, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, argued that "the simpler way to go" would be to subject the allegations to judicial scrutiny rather than dismiss them as political disputes, as reported by The Whistler.
Baba-Ahmed's intervention is significant. By calling for legal rather than political resolution, he acknowledges what many observers have noted: that Nigeria's political class often uses the rhetoric of due process while simultaneously undermining it. The tendency to treat serious allegations as mere political theater erodes public confidence in both the political system and the judiciary.
The Judiciary as Arbiter
The question of whether courts or politics should decide El-Rufai's case cuts to the heart of Nigeria's governance challenges. In a functional democracy, the answer would be obvious—allegations of wrongdoing should be investigated by independent institutions and adjudicated by impartial courts. But Nigeria's reality is more complex. The judiciary, while constitutionally independent, operates within a political ecosystem where influence and interference are endemic.
Yet Baba-Ahmed's call for judicial resolution reflects a growing recognition that political feuds cannot substitute for legal processes. The danger of allowing political considerations to trump legal accountability is that it creates a system where power, rather than evidence, determines outcomes. If El-Rufai has a case to answer, the courts should hear it. If the allegations are politically motivated, judicial scrutiny will expose that too.
The El-Rufai-Ribadu saga also illuminates the precarious nature of political capital in Nigeria. Both men built reputations as reformers, yet both have faced accusations of using their positions for personal or political advantage. This paradox—that anti-corruption crusaders themselves become subjects of corruption allegations—is a recurring pattern in Nigerian public life. It suggests that the problem is not merely individual malfeasance but systemic dysfunction.
Consequences Beyond Personalities
What makes this particular feud noteworthy is its timing and context. Nigeria faces mounting economic pressures, security challenges, and public disillusionment with governance. The spectacle of former allies engaged in political warfare reinforces the perception that Nigerian politics is fundamentally about personal ambition rather than public service. This perception, whether entirely fair or not, has corrosive effects on civic engagement and institutional legitimacy.
The relationship between El-Rufai and Ribadu once symbolized the possibility of principled politics in Nigeria—the idea that technocrats with genuine reform agendas could work together to transform institutions. Its collapse suggests that such partnerships are inherently unstable in an environment where power is zero-sum and loyalty is contingent.
As the drama continues to unfold, the central question remains: will Nigeria's institutions prove capable of adjudicating these disputes fairly, or will they simply become arenas for political score-settling? The answer will determine not just the fates of El-Rufai and Ribadu, but the credibility of Nigerian governance itself. For now, the courts—if they are allowed to function without interference—offer the only path toward resolution that might restore some measure of public confidence. Whether that path will be taken remains uncertain in a political landscape where personal feuds too often masquerade as matters of principle.