“Presidency Accuses El-Rufai of Misinformation Campaign Amid Corruption Allegations”

The Presidency on Sunday dismissed the recent correspondence by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to the National Security Adviser (NSA) regarding the alleged procurement of Thallium Sulphate.

The Presidency described the letter as a calculated attempt to stir political tension and divert attention from ongoing corruption investigations against him in Kaduna State.

The Presidency specifically pointed to the Kaduna State House of Assembly’s unanimous endorsement of a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking an investigation into alleged financial improprieties totaling N432 billion during El-Rufai’s tenure.

Anti-graft agencies have since invited the former governor for questioning.
In response to El-Rufai’s inquiry, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Temitope Ajayi, stated that the former governor was spreading misinformation that could cause unrest and was attempting to portray himself as a victim of political persecution.

Ajayi emphasized that no Thallium Sulphate had been procured or imported into Nigeria by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Ajayi also alleged that El-Rufai had already received an official response from the NSA’s office but had deliberately withheld it from the public.

“Mallam El-Rufai certainly got a reply to his letter from the NSA’s office, and he should be honourable enough to release it just as he mischievously released his own letter,” the statement read.

The Presidency further accused El-Rufai of attempting to create political instability by spreading misinformation and shifting the focus away from the corruption allegations he faces in Kaduna State.

It argued that the controversy was not about President Bola Tinubu or the NSA, but about the former governor’s diminishing political influence after eight years in office.

Questioning El-Rufai’s current political standing, the Presidency claimed that he had lost the support of key stakeholders in Kaduna, including his political allies and his successor, Governor Uba Sani, with whom he had previously been closely aligned.