Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has backed prominent activist and politician, Najaatu Mohammed, stating that her statement about National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu’s remark against President Bola Tinubu is accurate.
Henzodaily reports that Mohammed had alleged that Ribadu previously described Tinubu as corrupt but has now aligned himself with Tinubu’s administration as NSA.
In response, Ribadu, through his lawyer Ahmed Raji, issued a letter dated February 4 demanding a public apology and retraction, stating that the claims had caused him “unquantifiable damage.”
The letter refuted the allegations, stating that Ribadu had never made such remarks about Tinubu, Senator George Akume, or Senator Orji Uzor Kalu. It also accused Mohammed of inciting public sentiment against him and attempting to damage his reputation.
The letter further warned that failure to retract the statement within seven days and publish an apology in five national newspapers would result in legal action seeking exemplary damages.
In a post via X on Wednesday, El-Rufai stated that Ribadu has severe amnesia, stressing that the record of proceedings in the Senate will confirm that Nuhu made those statements sometime in 2006.
According to him, the statement was subsequently published in a newspaper, which confirms its essence.
He wrote, “Najaatu Mohammed vs. Nuhu Ribadu – Nuhu must have serious amnesia. Najaatu’s statement is accurate.
“The record of proceedings in the Senate will confirm that Nuhu made those statements, sometime in 2006. The subsequent Daily Trust report below of February 2007, reconfirms the essence of the statements.
“The conclusions of the Federal Executive Council in 2006, which can be subpoenaed from the Cabinet Secretariat of the SGF’s office contain the allegations.
“In that Special FEC meeting in which I was a member, Nuhu’s EFCC made similar presentations accusing many sitting officials, sometime in 2006. These Council Conclusions will further remove all doubts.
“This is for the record and to remind the morally-flexible that at some point in our national life, silence is no longer golden.”