Aisha

Equity sees as done that which ought to be done.

The Untold Story Behind El-Rufai’s Non-Appointment By Dare Adelekan When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu unveiled his ministerial nominees last year, Nigerians across political divides waited eagerly to see one name on the list — Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai. His name initially appeared, creating a wave of optimism that the Renewed Hope Agenda would be anchored on competence and experience rather than political compensation. But soon enough, the tide turned. The Senate withheld his confirmation, citing a so-called “security report,” and the President quietly moved on. Yet, behind the scenes, it was clear that El-Rufai’s omission went beyond any intelligence dossier — it was political, personal, and deeply revealing of the inner workings of the Tinubu presidency. From all credible indications, President Tinubu genuinely wanted El-Rufai in his cabinet. The grapevine within the corridors of power suggested that he was being considered for the Ministry of Power and Energy — a sector that has long suffered from inefficiency and bureaucratic rot. El-Rufai’s managerial capacity and technical acumen made him an ideal fit. His track record as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under President Olusegun Obasanjo remains one of the most transformative episodes in Nigeria’s recent governance history. He turned Abuja into a disciplined, planned city, reasserting order and purpose with a rare sense of mission — all without the drama and theatrics that now characterize the present Federal Executive Council. So, what happened? Why did Tinubu, a man known for recognizing talent, abandon one of the most capable administrators Nigeria has ever produced? The answer lies in politics — the kind that thrives not on competence but on control. El-Rufai is not a man to be tamed. He is a reformer with an independent mind, one who speaks truth to power and rarely bows to political pressure. His bluntness, often mistaken for arrogance, is in reality the expression of a disciplined technocrat who detests mediocrity. He is not one to play the sycophant’s game or indulge in the kind of hero-worship that now defines Nigeria’s political elite. In simple terms, El-Rufai could not be expected to “lick anybody’s ashy hands,” to borrow the street phrase making the rounds in political circles. Those who know him also know he takes no nonsense. He thrives on merit, not manipulation. He does not need presidential favor to perform; he needs only a clear mandate and the freedom to execute. And therein lies the problem. Tinubu’s inner circle — a mixture of loyalists, praise-singers, and political courtiers — reportedly warned that bringing El-Rufai on board could “destabilize” the hierarchy of loyalty around the President. They argued that El-Rufai was too independent, too strong-willed, too cerebral to fit into a system that values submission over substance. Hence, the convenient narrative of a “security report” was floated — a ready-made excuse to neutralize a man who would not be easily controlled. The truth, however, is that El-Rufai’s exclusion was not about national security but political insecurity. It was about protecting fragile egos in the corridors of power. In a cabinet where noise often substitutes for performance, and where some ministers mistake verbosity for vision, El-Rufai’s mere presence would have exposed the emptiness of many. It is ironic that the same qualities that make El-Rufai an asset to Nigeria are the ones that have turned him into an outsider in Tinubu’s government. He is brilliant, versatile, focused, and daring — the very traits that a reform-minded government should celebrate. Instead, the presidency seems to have chosen convenience over competence. Today, the Ministry of Power continues to grope in the dark — literally and figuratively. The Renewed Hope Agenda in that sector is still struggling to find its feet, weighed down by bureaucracy and indecision. One can only imagine what

I stand with a man whose words have always been ahead of his time. Mallam said “Unless betrayed, our loyalty and fidelity to friends are permanent and pensionable. Unless reconciled, our opposition and enmity to traitors are permanent and pensionable.” He meant every word, and those who felt that opposition are now using the full weight of the state to silence him. Today it is Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, tomorrow it could be anyone who dares to speak truth to power. Your silence today is your vulnerability tomorrow. Stand with us. We will not be silent. Free Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.

The heavy air of politics in the ongoing ordeal of Nasir el-Rufai is a danger to the credibility of our national institutions. El-Rufai is entitled to fair treatment. And he should be given one. thisdaylive.com/2026/04/26/el-…

We are heartbroken. 💔 Since the illegal detention of our father, Nasir @elrufai, nothing has been the same. We can’t eat, we can’t sleep, and we have no peace of mind. This pain is real, and it is shared by thousands who believe in justice and truth. Why should a man who has given his strength, his voice, and his vision for this nation be treated this way? This is not justice this is political grudges taking over what should be fairness and the rule of law. El-Rufai is not just a leader; he is a man who has consistently worked for the progress of this country. A man who believes in building a better nation for all of us. Silencing such a voice is a disservice not just to him, but to Nigeria as a whole. We call on the government: Release him immediately. Let justice prevail. Let fairness speak louder than politics. Nigeria needs leaders who are ready to work, to sacrifice, and to move the nation forward. We cannot afford to hold back those who are willing to complete the work of building this country. Free El-Rufai. Let him continue serving the nation he loves. @IU_Wakilii @belloelrufai @BashirElRufai

Claims that El-Rufai's prosecution is a political witch-hunt appear to be true - Lawyer explains Watch full interview: youtu.be/a9extg0Ve7I #trusttvnews #ElRufai

Beyond Survival: The Case for Competent Leadership in Northern Nigeria. Northern Nigeria stands at a decisive crossroads, one where sentiment must give way to strategy, and entitlement must yield to excellence. The demand for its best minds and most capable hands in leadership is no longer aspirational, it is existential. For decades, the region has wrestled with a structural imbalance in revenue generation when compared to the South. While southern states, buoyed by coastal access, industrial clusters, and oil derived income, have built relatively stronger fiscal autonomy, much of the North remains dependent on federal allocations. This disparity has not only constrained development but has also fueled a damaging national narrative that casts the region as parasitic, consuming more than it produces. Whether fair or exaggerated, such a label erodes political capital and weakens the North’s bargaining power within the federation. Yet the deeper crisis is not merely economic, it is ecological and existential. Climate change has begun to redraw the map of livelihood across the region. Advancing desertification, erratic rainfall, and shrinking arable land have intensified competition over resources, especially between farmers and pastoralists. What was once a manageable tension has, in many places, metastasized into cycles of violence. Layered atop this is the scourge of banditry and terrorism. Vast ungoverned spaces, weak institutional presence, and chronic poverty have created fertile ground for armed groups to thrive. The human cost is staggering, displacement, disrupted education, and a generation growing up amid insecurity. The economic cost is equally severe, as investment flees and productivity collapses in affected areas. In such a context, mediocrity in leadership is not just inadequate, it is dangerous. The North cannot afford leaders chosen for convenience, patronage, or narrow political calculations. It must insist on competence, vision, and integrity. Leaders who understand that revenue must be grown, not merely shared, that agriculture must evolve from subsistence to value driven enterprise, that education must be radically reimagined to meet modern demands, and that security requires both force and foresight. Putting forward the best also means embracing difficult reforms. It means confronting elite complacency, dismantling systems that reward loyalty over merit, and investing in human capital at a scale that matches the region’s demographic weight. It requires leaders who can engage the South not from a position of defensiveness, but from one of renewed credibility and contribution. Ultimately, the question before Northern Nigeria is simple, will it continue to be defined by its challenges, or by its response to them? The answer lies in leadership. And in times such as these, only the best will suffice.

Whenever you hear your governor, or those who speak for him, celebrate “rural development,” listen beyond the words and into their intent. For in politics, language often serves not as a mirror of reality, but as a substitute for it. They justify inaction everywhere by promising attention somewhere. And so, neither the rural nor urban gets developed, but a basket of excuses.. A giant scam!

"The most dangerous form of blindness, is believing that your perspective is the only reality." - Friedrich Nietzsche.

f your 'Master Strategist' in Abuja and the 'Rhetoric Rural Transformer' in Kaduna believe their only path to victory is locking up Malam, destabilizing the opposition, and paying PR thugs to spread lies, then they aren't strategists. They are frauds and a failure to politics and the seats they occupy

There is law, and there is politics, and what we’re witnessing with Malam is a complete hijack of justice by raw, desperate politics. This is not about due process or the rule of law; it’s about power, control, and silencing a voice they clearly fear. Strip away the noise, and it’s obvious: this is politics at its most shameless. But after all is said and done, we will meet them where it truly matters, at the polls. That is where real power lies, and that is where the people will have the final say.

NIGERIA UPDATE - Nigeria’s Growth Crisis Is a Talent-Allocation Crisis - by: Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai - 1st April, 2026 - Part 1 Nigeria is often described as a paradox. We are a nation of extraordinary human capital—energetic, inventive, resilient—yet our economic outcomes fall persistently short of our potential. Growth remains shallow, productivity weak, firms struggle to scale, and prosperity does not spread widely enough. Today, I want to advance a clear and uncomfortable proposition: Nigeria’s growth problem is not primarily a shortage of talent, capital, or ideas. It is a problem of where our best talent goes—and why. This is not a moral argument about individuals. It is a political-economy argument about incentives. 1. The Core Insight: Talent Follows Returns Across societies and across history, highly capable people choose occupations that offer the highest returns to ability, especially where small differences in skill translate into large rewards. Economists describe this as increasing returns to talent. When those returns are highest in entrepreneurship, innovation, and production, economies grow. When those returns are highest in rent-seeking—activities that redistribute existing wealth rather than create new value—growth slows or stalls . People do not wake up intending to harm their country. They respond rationally to incentives. So the right question for Nigeria is not “Why are people corrupt?” It is: “What activities does our system reward most handsomely?” 2. Nigeria’s Current Incentive Structure Let us be honest about Nigeria’s reality. •GDP growth was about 4.1% in 2024, respectable on paper but insufficient for a country with our demographics. •GDP per capita remains around US$1,084, placing Nigeria among lower-income economies despite our scale. •Informal employment accounts for roughly 93% of the labour force, meaning most firms are small, fragile, and defensive rather than scalable. •Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio is only about 8.2%, one of the lowest in Africa—signalling weak fiscal capacity and heavy reliance on discretionary collection rather than broad, rule-based taxation. These numbers are not abstract. They describe an economy where scale is risky, visibility attracts predation, and long-term investment struggles to compete with short-term access. In such an environment, the most capable Nigerians often find that the fastest and safest returns come not from building large, productive enterprises—but from proximity to state power, regulatory discretion, political brokerage, or legal and administrative contestation. This is exactly the mechanism identified in the economic literature: when the “market” for rent-seeking is large, talent flows there . 3. Why Rent-Seeking Damages Growth Rent-seeking harms an economy in three cumulative ways. First, it absorbs labour and capital without creating output. Resources are spent competing over existing wealth rather than expanding the economic frontier. Second, it acts like a tax on productive activity. Businesses face delays, uncertainty, informal payments, and arbitrary enforcement—raising costs and discouraging investment. Third—and most damaging—it diverts the very people who would otherwise be the most productive entrepreneurs and innovators. When the brightest minds are pulled away from production, the quality of entrepreneurship falls, technological progress slows, and the economy’s long-run growth rate declines . This is why rent-seeking does not merely lower income levels; it can permanently reduce growth.

Earlier today at the Federal High Court, Kaduna State.

Have you actually read the charges against Nasir El-Rufai filed by the ICPC? After screaming ₦480 billion, wiretapping, and even dragging in imaginary Cairo mansions, they crawled into court with charges that don’t even add up to ₦2 billion. That’s not prosecution that’s embarrassment on record. All that noise, all those headlines, and when it was time to face a judge, the big case suddenly shrank like wet paper. Go and read the charge sheet yourself it’s not a legal document, it’s a comedy script exposing a failed media trial. Thank you Shams. Abdullahi Yahaya Esq

What happened today at the Federal High Court, Kaduna Malam Nasir @elrufai appeared today before the Federal High Court in Kaduna for arraignment on charges filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Surprised that Justice R. M. Aikawa was presiding over the matter, El-Rufai’s legal team reminded the court of their client’s petition against the judge which is pending before the National Judicial Council (NJC). Justice Aikawa ruled that he would at least conduct the arraignment of the two defendants, and hear the matter of his recusal if counsel would bring it by way of a formal written application. The court adjourned proceedings to 31 March 2026 for the hearing of bail and any other applications filed on behalf of Malam El-Rufai and Mr. Joel Adoga. On 17 March 2026, the Kaduna Division of the Court of Appeal set aside Justice Aikawa’s judgment in a fundamental rights enforcement suit that El-Rufai had filed in 2024 against the Kaduna State House of Assembly. The appellate court upheld El-Rufai’s contention that he had been denied a fair hearing and ordered the Federal High Court to rehear the matter afresh. That case had prompted the first petition against Justice Aikawa by El-Rufai’s counsel. In a petition dated 18 July 2024, AU Mustapha, SAN, on behalf of Malam El-Rufai, accused Justice Aikawa of gross bias, injustice, and denial of fair hearing. The petition, addressed to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, requested that the case be reassigned to another judge. When that request was not granted, El-Rufai’s counsel pursued and succeeded in the appeal. The second petition against Justice Aikawa, dated 18 March 2025, was submitted by Malam Nasir El-Rufai to the Chief Justice of Nigeria in her capacity as Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC). In it, El-Rufai accused Justice Aikawa of bias, injustice, denial of fair hearing, and conduct unbecoming of a judicial officer. Malam Nasir El-Rufai sent reminders concerning the petition to the Chief Justice of Nigeria in November 2025 and again in March 2026. The most recent reminder urged the Chief Justice to ensure that the NJC expedites the resolution of the petition without further delay. The reminder also requested the Chief Justice to direct the immediate transfer of all relevant cases before the Federal High Court, Kaduna, to another judge “as a prudent interim measure to restore impartiality and safeguard judicial processes.”

"Mallam is an exceptional and unique leader...this is a political witchhunt...he will emerge victorious..." Honourable Suleiman Ibrahim and numerous supporters attended court to support former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El Rufai during his arraignment on fraud charges.

Statement from the Barewa College Zaria 1976 Classmates of Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai on the Commencement of Judicial Proceedings. Everyone love Malam💚❤️

Mallam!!!