El-Rufai a difficult person to advise, should stop digging – Baba-Ahmed

Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former Special Adviser on Political Matters to Vice-President Kashim Shettima, has criticised ex-Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai over his recent conduct amid ongoing corruption allegations.

Speaking on Tuesday during the programme ‘Political Paradigm’ on Channels Television, Baba-Ahmed said el-Rufai’s actions appear to have exacerbated his legal and political challenges.

He stated that el-Rufai, “by character, is a very difficult person to advise,” adding that a prudent approach would have been to exercise restraint in public statements and correspondence while addressing allegations. Baba-Ahmed noted that the former governor is currently facing multiple issues, including allegations of embezzling public funds while in office.

Highlighting recent developments, Baba-Ahmed criticised el-Rufai’s actions, such as publicly acknowledging involvement in illegal surveillance and writing to the National Security Adviser (NSA) to probe the alleged procurement of 10 kilogrammes of thallium sulphate by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). He warned that such steps “escalate and reinforce the hostility against him,” likening the situation to ignoring the proverb: ‘if you’re in the ditch, stop digging.’

Baba-Ahmed argued that el-Rufai would have been more valuable to his party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as a free man, not encumbered by legal battles or confrontations with security authorities. He urged that focus should be on addressing corruption allegations and repairing his public standing rather than engaging in actions that could worsen his position.

The remarks come amid reports that security operatives allegedly attempted to arrest el-Rufai at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport following his return from Cairo, and his public claims of accessing intercepted conversations involving NSA Nuhu Ribadu. El-Rufai has acknowledged that such surveillance was illegal but insisted that it is a routine government practice.

Baba-Ahmed’s commentary underscores the growing scrutiny on el-Rufai’s actions and the challenges he faces navigating legal, political, and public perceptions while under investigation.