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A new controversy has erupted within the family of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, after his son, Bashir El-Rufai, publicly attacked his older brother, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, for his political choices and alleged loyalty to the family.
The dispute, which erupted on social media on Saturday, has attracted considerable attention due to the prominent political positions held by members of the El-Rufai family and the long-standing political disagreement between the father and his successor, Governor Uba Sani. Project reports
Bashir, in a series of posts on
Bello, who represents Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has not responded publicly to the latest allegations at the time of filing this report.
Political differences trigger family fallout
At the heart of the latest disagreement is the political relationship between Bello and Governor Uba Sani.
Sani was a close political associate of Nasir El-Rufai and succeeded him as governor of Kaduna in 2023. However, the relationship between the former governor and his successor subsequently deteriorated, with disagreements over the management of the state and financial liabilities inherited from the Sani administration becoming major points of contention.
While Bashir became one of the Kaduna government’s most vocal critics, Bello maintained a relatively cordial political relationship with Sani.
Bello had served as Sani’s chief of staff when the latter was a senator and remained a member of the All Progressives Congress even after his father resigned from the party in March 2025.
That political difference between the brothers has now become a central feature of their public disagreement.
Bashir questions Bello’s loyalty
Bashir’s latest outburst followed Bello’s defection from the APC to the African Democratic Congress, the political platform to which his father had subscribed.
Bello left the APC on May 7, 2026, and joined the ADC, several months after Nasir El-Rufai abandoned the ruling party.
Questioning the timing of his brother’s move, Bashir said Bello remained with Uba Sani until he realized his political interests were no longer being served.
He accused the MP of remembering family loyalty only after his political relationship with the Kaduna governor allegedly became strained.
Bashir also said Bello had previously asked him to tone down his criticism of Sani when the lawmaker was still politically close to the governor.
The younger El-Rufai described his brother as a hypocrite and suggested that his political decisions were motivated more by personal interests than family loyalty.
The allegations reflect the broader political battle between the former governor and his successor, which has remained a major issue in Kaduna politics since the 2023 transition of power.
The dispute escalates with personal accusations
What began as a disagreement over political loyalties quickly turned into deeply personal exchanges.
Bashir made allegations against Bello regarding alleged substance and alcohol use in the X posts.
The claims, however, have not been independently verified and there is no established public evidence to confirm the allegations.
Some posts were later deleted, with reports indicating that Bashir later said he had removed them following his mother’s intervention.
The development has raised concerns among Nigerians over the extent to which private family disagreements involving public figures should be exposed on social media.
Bashir’s language in some posts was also highly provocative, prompting social media users to urge the brothers to resolve their differences in private rather than continue the confrontation online.
The threatening exchange raises concerns
The controversy took another turn when Bashir made further comments during social media exchanges.
According to TheCable, Bashir responded to a comment from user
The comment, like many others in the exchange, was later deleted.
Bashir also claimed that Bello told him to kill himself, although the accusation has not been independently established.
The increasingly personal nature of the exchanges has heightened concerns about the consequences of the dispute, especially given the public profile of the El-Rufai family.
Neither Bello nor his representatives had publicly responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.
Bello’s political journey
Bello’s political journey helps explain why his relationship with Governor Sani has become such a contentious issue within the family.
The MP was Sani’s Chief of Staff when the latter was a senator before becoming governor of Kaduna State.
He subsequently won election to the House of Representatives in 2023 to represent Kaduna Northern Federal Constituency on the APC platform.
Even after Nasir El-Rufai left the APC in 2025, Bello remained in the ruling party.
His eventual defection to the ADC in May 2026 brought him closer politically to his father and other members of the opposition coalition.
Bello later indicated his intention to seek another term in the House under the ADC platform.
The El-Rufai-Sani split remains at the center
The latest family dispute cannot be completely separated from the broader political confrontation between Nasir El-Rufai and Governor Uba Sani.
The two men were once considered close political allies, with Sani playing an important role in the political structure that supported El-Rufai’s administration.
However, their relationship deteriorated after Sani took over as governor in 2023.
The Sani administration subsequently expressed concerns about Kaduna State’s financial position, including debts and contractual obligations it claims to have inherited from the previous administration.
The claims became an important political issue and ultimately contributed to the deepening of relations between the two camps.
El-Rufai and his supporters have disputed some aspects of the allegations against his administration, while the Kaduna government has maintained its position on the state’s inherited financial liabilities.
The political disagreement has since spread beyond the two politicians, with their respective supporters often engaging in public exchanges.
The latest clash between Bashir and Bello therefore represents a more personal dimension of an already intense political rivalry.
The family dispute comes amid El-Rufai’s legal battles
The latest controversy also comes at a difficult time for the former governor, who is facing legal proceedings over allegations related to his administration.
El-Rufai has denied any wrongdoing in relation to the allegations.
His political realignment to the ADC has also positioned him among opposition figures seeking to challenge the ruling establishment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former governor’s political future and his relationship with the current Kaduna administration have therefore remained a subject of considerable public interest.
In this context, the disagreement between his children has added a family dimension to the political tensions surrounding the former governor.
Public reaction grows
The public nature of the dispute has generated widespread reactions, with many Nigerians urging the brothers to resolve their differences in private.
The episode also renewed debate about the increasingly important role played by social media in Nigerian politics, where disagreements that would previously have remained within political circles can quickly become national disputes.
The El-Rufai brothers have previously been involved in politically charged exchanges on social media, making the latest confrontation part of a pattern of public disagreements rather than an entirely isolated incident.
For now, however, the immediate dispute remains largely public knowledge, with Bashir making the allegations and Bello yet to issue a public response.
It remains to be seen whether the brothers will reconcile in private or continue their confrontation in the public space.
What is clear is that the political differences surrounding Nasir El-Rufai and Uba Sani have now exposed a visible disagreement between two members of the former governor’s family, bringing a new and deeply personal dimension to Kaduna’s already heated political landscape.
