Former Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Akin Osuntokun, has shed light on the source of ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s long-standing tension with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
Speaking on Arise Television’s “Prime Time”, Osuntokun revealed that the discord dates back to a 2007 public opinion survey conducted by President Bola Tinubu, which favored Ribadu. “Former Governor El-Rufai never got over it,” Osuntokun said.
He added, “Tinubu, having just left office as governor of Lagos State, was then a kingmaker seeking to sponsor younger political leaders from the North. He reached out to Nuhu Ribadu and adopted him as a candidate, and that’s when bad blood set in between Ribadu and El-Rufai.”
The revelation comes amid heightened debate following El-Rufai’s allegation that the Office of the National Security Adviser procured thallium sulphate, a highly toxic chemical. Ribadu has challenged El-Rufai to present evidence to the Department of State Services (DSS) for investigation.
The feud, Osuntokun’s account suggests, is deeply rooted in historical political dynamics, rather than the recent allegations alone.
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