A public dispute has broken out within the family of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai after his son, Bashir El-Rufai, openly accused his elder brother, Representative Bello El-Rufai, of illicit substance abuse, hypocrisy, and political betrayal.
Bello, who represents Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, became the subject of extensive social media attacks by Bashir over his alignment in the political confrontation between their father and incumbent Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani.
The public confrontation marks an unprecedented internal split within the El-Rufai political base, which has faced mounting pressure since the state administration exposed heavy inherited debt liabilities.
Public Allegations of Substance Abuse and Personal Conduct
In multiple public statements, Bashir made direct assertions regarding the federal lawmaker’s habits and fitness for public office.
Bashir wrote that the federal representative was compromised by alcohol and cocaine, stating publicly that his brother had a face coated with an unknown white substance around his nostrils every night while failing to properly represent his Kaduna North constituency.
The verbal exchange intensified as Bashir addressed an alleged threat by Bello, responding with the Hausa insult “Wawa” and escalating the family confrontation with severe personal retorts.
Political Realignments and the African Democratic Congress Accusation
Bashir accused his elder brother of political opportunism, alleging that Bello remained loyal to Governor Sani only until he realized he was being sidelined by the state administration.
According to Bashir, Bello previously instructed family members to stop their criticisms of Governor Sani, only to alter his position and align with the African Democratic Congress once his political standing in the state deteriorated.
Bashir asserted that Bello acted entirely in self-interest rather than showing loyalty to his family when other members were actively opposing the current Kaduna State leadership.
| Principal Figure |
Official Designation / Role |
Stance in Current Feud |
Core Factional Alignment |
| Nasir El-Rufai |
Former Governor of Kaduna State |
In opposition to current state administration |
Head of political dynasty under legislative scrutiny |
| Uba Sani |
Executive Governor of Kaduna State |
Initiated debt and contractual liabilities disclosures |
State Executive leadership |
| Bello El-Rufai |
Member, House of Representatives (Kaduna North) |
Target of public substance and loyalty allegations |
Accused of shifting from Sani ally to ADC alignment |
| Bashir El-Rufai |
Son of Nasir El-Rufai / Public Commentator |
Vocal critic of Kaduna State Government |
Leading public attacks against brother Bello |
Background: Inherited Debt Liabilities and the Sani-El-Rufai Rift
The dispute between the brothers traces directly to the collapse of the political alliance between Nasir El-Rufai and Governor Uba Sani, who served as a senator before succeeding El-Rufai in May 2023.
Governor Sani declared that his administration inherited a severe financial burden comprising 587 million dollars in foreign loans, 85 billion naira in domestic debt, and 115 contractual liabilities, which left the state struggling to pay civil service salaries and execute infrastructure projects.
The financial disclosures led the Kaduna State House of Assembly to launch a formal legislative probe into the prior administration’s fiscal transactions, deepening the divide between the two political camps.
While Bello originally maintained a close working relationship with Governor Sani as a political mentor and distanced himself from attacks on the governor, Bashir sustained aggressive public opposition to the state government, resulting in the current public confrontation between the brothers.
