A former Special Adviser on Political Matters to Vice President Kashim Shettima, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has advised former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to exercise restraint, saying his confrontational approach is worsening his legal and political challenges.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Baba-Ahmed said El-Rufai’s current posture reflects a reluctance to adopt caution at a time when prudence is required.
“Unfortunately, Mallam Nasiru, by character, is a very difficult person to advise,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed argued that the former governor should concentrate on responding to corruption allegations linked to his administration in Kaduna State rather than broadening his disputes.
“This is a government that takes no prisoners. They are alleging that while he was in office, he embezzled money and stole money,” he stated.
He warned that escalating confrontations could compound the situation.
“When you find yourself in a ditch, stop digging. The first rule of being in a ditch is to stop digging,” Baba-Ahmed said, adding that recent developments have only intensified hostility against El-Rufai.
He listed multiple issues confronting the former governor, including allegations concerning the management of Kaduna State funds, comments made on live television about involvement in bugging the phone of National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and a letter alleging that the Office of the National Security Adviser was in custody of a toxic substance.
“How far do you want to go in this?” he queried.
Baba-Ahmed also examined the matter from a broader political angle, noting that El-Rufai’s role in the African Democratic Congress would be more effective if he were not weighed down by legal and security disputes.
“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,” he said.
He urged the former governor to limit further damage by focusing on clearing his name over allegations of financial misconduct.
The remarks come amid growing controversies surrounding El-Rufai. Beyond the corruption allegations tied to his tenure, he recently acknowledged accessing an intercepted telephone conversation involving Ribadu, admitting the action was unlawful while claiming that such practices are common within government circles.
The situation escalated after he wrote to the Office of the National Security Adviser seeking clarification over reports of the alleged procurement of about 10 kilogrammes of thallium sulphate, a toxic substance.
Tensions heightened further following reports of an attempted arrest by security operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport upon his return from Cairo, fuelling perceptions of a deepening standoff between the former governor and elements within the security establishment.
Earlier, on January 30, El-Rufai had publicly called on Ribadu to clarify the reports concerning the alleged procurement of thallium sulphate by the Office of the National Security Adviser.
But Baba-Ahmed maintained that the pattern of events suggests escalation rather than resolution.
“If you put all these things together, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai seems to have ignored that proverb: if you’re in a ditch, stop digging,” he said.
