El-Rufai Dynasty Splits: Sibling Rivalry Goes Public

​ABUJA — Cracks within the prominent political family of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai have broken wide open, playing out in a volatile public spectacle on the microblogging platform X.

​The bitter exchange involves two of the former governor’s sons: Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives representing Kaduna North, and his younger brother, Bashir El-Rufai. What began as private political disagreements quickly deteriorated into a barrage of unverified personal attacks, laying bare deep-seated tensions under the weight of mounting external pressures.

​The virtual showdown was ignited by political grievances surrounding loyalties to the incumbent Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani. Governor Sani, once a close protégé of the elder El-Rufai, experienced a major political fallout with his former principal following the 2023 elections. According to Bashir’s social media posts, Federal Lawmaker Bello El-Rufai allegedly maintained close ties with Governor Sani for opportunistic political survival, only pivoting back to alignment with the family’s political faction after sensing he was being sidelined.

​”Stuck with Uba Sani until he realized he is being dumped then suddenly remembered family loyalty and moved to ADC,” Bashir wrote, referencing his brother’s recent political transition.

​The dispute rapidly escalated past political maneuvering into severe personal territory. Bashir unleashed a series of inflammatory remarks targeting his elder brother’s lifestyle and physical appearance, leveling unsubstantiated allegations concerning substance abuse. The fiery posts immediately drew sharp rebukes from online observers, with many netizens condemning the public airing of family grievances and urging maturity. Though several of the more aggressive statements were later scrubbed from the platform, the digital fallout had already crystallized.

ADVERTISEMENT

​The public feud arrives at an exceptionally delicate juncture for the El-Rufai household. The family patriarch, Nasir El-Rufai, remains embroiled in high-stakes legal battles, facing multi-count corruption and fraud charges brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) following his tenure as governor. With the family name already under intense scrutiny from ongoing legal proceedings, this unfiltered sibling collision has provided political opponents with fresh ammunition, transforming private familial discord into a major national talking point.

​Neither Mohammed Bello El-Rufai nor his official representatives had issued a formal statement addressing the allegations as of press time.

​El Rufai Brothers Disagree Over Attack On Governor Sani

​This video provides context on previous political disagreements and factional tensions involving members of the El-Rufai family and Kaduna State politics.