Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former Special Adviser on Political Matters to Vice President Kashim Shettima, has warned ex-Kaduna governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai that his confrontational approach is making his legal and political problems worse.
Speaking on Channels Television, Baba-Ahmed said El-Rufai seems unwilling to exercise caution at a time when restraint is needed.
“Unfortunately, Mallam Nasiru, by character, is a very difficult person to advise,” he said.
He stressed that El-Rufai should focus on addressing corruption allegations from his time as governor instead of widening conflicts.
“This is a government that takes no prisoners. They are alleging that while he was in office, he embezzled money and stole money,” Baba-Ahmed noted.
He warned that escalating the situation could only make matters worse.
“When you find yourself in a ditch, stop digging. The first rule of being in a ditch is to stop digging,” he said, adding that recent moves by El-Rufai have “escalated and reinforced the hostility against him.”
Baba-Ahmed listed the controversies facing the former governor: “Now they are saying we have three issues against you. You have to answer questions about your custody of the people of Kaduna State’s money. Then you have to answer our questions regarding the comments you made on live TV that you are involved in bugging Mallam Nuhu Ribadu’s phone. Now you’ve written a letter revealing the notice you have that the National Security Adviser is in custody of poisonous material. How far do you want to go in this?”
Looking at the bigger political picture, he said El-Rufai is more valuable to the African Democratic Congress when he is politically active rather than tied up in legal and security battles.
“You’re a very prominent member of the ADC. You are more useful to the ADC as a free man, not encumbered by a lot of allegations and fights,” Baba-Ahmed said.
“There are just so many fronts that you’ll fight. So try and limit the damage. Focus your attention on getting yourself cleaned up, on the allegation that you stole money from the people of Kaduna State,” he added.
The warnings come as El-Rufai faces multiple controversies.
Beyond corruption claims, he recently admitted to accessing an intercepted phone call involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. On TV, he acknowledged it was illegal but said such surveillance is common in government circles.
Tensions rose after El-Rufai wrote to the Office of the National Security Adviser asking about reports that about 10 kilograms of thallium sulphate, a toxic chemical, had been procured. This added a security layer to an already charged political situation.
Reports also emerged of a failed attempt by security operatives to arrest El-Rufai at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on his return from Cairo, fueling perceptions of a standoff between him and the security agencies.
Earlier, on January 30, El-Rufai publicly called on Ribadu to clarify the reports about thallium sulphate.
Baba-Ahmed said the pattern shows escalation rather than caution.
“If you put all these things together,” he said, “Mallam Nasir el-Rufai seems to have ignored that proverb: if you’re in a ditch, stop digging.”
