Former Kano State political heavyweight and chieftain of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Buba Galadima, has accused President Bola Tinubu and his associates of ingratitude over the treatment of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
Galadima made the accusation while speaking on the Naija Unfiltered Podcast, where he discussed El-Rufai’s prolonged detention and the political relationship between the former Kaduna governor and President Tinubu.
The NDC chieftain claimed that El-Rufai played a significant role in the political efforts that contributed to Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 presidential election.
According to him, the former Kaduna governor should have been treated differently by the administration because of his past political contribution to the emergence of Tinubu as president.
“Tinubu and his people are ingrates as far as El-Rufai is concerned. I’m not the best friend of El-Rufai. In fact, I advised him that he should be careful of the way he carries himself, that he either goes on exile or they will jail him,” he said.
El-Rufai has remained at the centre of a prolonged legal and political controversy since he was taken into custody in February 2026.
The former governor initially honoured an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations linked to his tenure as Kaduna governor.
He was later transferred to the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which said it was investigating allegations involving him.
The ICPC had also explained that El-Rufai’s detention was authorised by a court order while investigations continued.
The commission said the allegations under investigation included money laundering and abuse of office.
His continued detention has since become a major political issue, particularly as Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections.
Opposition politicians have repeatedly questioned the length of his detention and raised concerns about whether the case could have political implications.
Galadima said he was among those who became concerned about El-Rufai’s situation early enough.
He claimed that he had warned the former governor about the possibility of facing serious consequences after his relationship with the Tinubu administration deteriorated.
He said he did not keep his concerns private, adding that he had spoken about the matter during interviews with the BBC and Nigerian television stations.
Galadima also revealed that he approached former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, in an attempt to persuade El-Rufai not to return to Nigeria after leaving the country.
“I went and met Kwankwaso and told Kwankwaso that he should beg El-Rufai not to come back. These people do not mean well to him,” Galadima said.
According to him, Kwankwaso subsequently contacted El-Rufai and the former Kaduna governor initially postponed his return.
Galadima said El-Rufai later announced another date and eventually returned to Nigeria despite the warning.
The opposition chieftain described that decision as an indication of courage, considering what he portrayed as the political atmosphere surrounding El-Rufai at the time.
He further alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was determined to retain power in 2027 and could adopt aggressive political measures to achieve that objective.
“The desperation with which the APC is going, they can do anything under the sun to come back to power, because they know what it entails if they lose power; what they have done to people will visit them,” he said.
In September, Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II also raised concerns over El-Rufai’s continued detention, saying the former governor had spent about seven months in custody without a conviction.
Sanusi called attention to the importance of due process in corruption investigations and prosecutions.
The former Kaduna governor’s legal troubles have also extended beyond the financial allegations being investigated by anti-corruption authorities.
He has faced proceedings connected to allegations involving the interception of telephone communications, with his legal team challenging aspects of the government’s actions against him.
The ICPC, however, has maintained that it is acting within the law and that El-Rufai’s detention was backed by court orders.
The commission has also rejected suggestions that its actions were being driven by political considerations.
In a related development, Galadima had previously criticised El-Rufai’s political strategy, questioning his ability to lead a broad opposition movement.
In May 2025, he described El-Rufai as a placeholder for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the Social Democratic Party (SDP), while arguing that the former Kaduna governor lacked the political reach required to lead the opposition.
