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Osuntokun: Tinubu’s 2011 Move Sparked El-Rufai, Ribadu Feud.
A former Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Akin Osuntokun, has alleged that the long-running political feud between Nasir El-Rufai and Nuhu Ribadu deepened after Bola Tinubu chose to support Ribadu over El-Rufai in the build-up to the 2011 presidential election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Speaking in an interview on ARISE News on Tuesday, Osuntokun said the rivalry, which he traced back to the twilight of the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, escalated following a public opinion survey reportedly commissioned by Tinubu that placed Ribadu ahead of El-Rufai.
According to Osuntokun, the tension first surfaced during the closing phase of Obasanjo’s presidency, a period marked by shifting political alliances. However, he maintained that the real break occurred years later as political actors prepared for the 2011 presidential race.
He revealed that Tinubu, having just completed his tenure as Lagos State governor, was keen on backing a younger northern politician and aligning him with South-West political support.
“He was looking to identify someone from the younger generation in the North who could attract his backing from the South-West,” Osuntokun said.
To inform his choice, Tinubu allegedly ordered a public opinion poll.
“The survey results strongly favoured Nuhu. He polled 45 per cent, while El-Rufai recorded 7 per cent. Based on that outcome, Tinubu approached Nuhu and adopted him as his preferred candidate,” Osuntokun explained.
Ribadu later became the presidential flagbearer of the Action Congress of Nigeria.
Osuntokun argued that the poll’s outcome triggered resentment.
“I believe that development created lingering resentment in Nasir — seeing Nuhu ranked far above him. In my view, he never truly moved past that disappointment,” he said.
He added that even El-Rufai’s eventual tenure as a two-term governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023 did not completely heal the rift.
“He may have had the advantage of serving eight years as governor while Nuhu remained out of mainstream politics for some time, but when 2023 arrived, the dynamics shifted again,” Osuntokun stated.
By the time preparations for the 2023 general elections gathered pace, Osuntokun noted that Ribadu had strengthened his ties with Tinubu.
“Nuhu had by then built a close working relationship with Tinubu and became one of his trusted allies. He was eventually appointed National Security Adviser — a highly influential office,” he said.
Osuntokun also referenced El-Rufai’s unsuccessful ministerial nomination, suggesting it may have further complicated matters.
“There was clearly a contest of interests,” he said. “At some point, it appeared he developed a fixation on Nuhu Ribadu, often linking him to the challenges he encountered.”
Although he expressed hesitation about revisiting past political dealings, Osuntokun said he felt compelled to provide context to what he described as the longstanding rivalry.
“Frankly, I’m not comfortable discussing some of these shared political experiences,” he said. “But the situation has escalated to a point where clarification has become necessary.”
An officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has been arrested for allegedly firing gunshots into the air during a confrontation with traders at Kubwa Market in Abuja.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The officer, identified as Onoja Samuel, reportedly arrived at the market armed with a pistol following allegations that some traders had assaulted his wife.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Mohammed Sanusi, disclosed the incident while addressing journalists at the command on Wednesday, Naija News reports.
Sanusi said the police received a distress call from Kubwa Market, located in the Bwari Area Council, reporting that a man was shooting into the air.
Following the report, officers attached to the Kubwa Police Division were deployed to the scene, where they arrested the suspect.
According to the police commissioner, preliminary investigations revealed that Samuel holds the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Corps (DSC) in the NSCDC.
He explained that the officer allegedly fired several shots during an argument with the traders.
“During the ensuing argument with the traders, Onoja Samuel, who is a DSC with the NSCDC, fired several shots into the air,” Sanusi said.
The police recovered a CZ pistol and 17 rounds of live 9mm ammunition from the suspect.
Sanusi added that Samuel remained in police custody and would be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The commissioner also urged personnel of other security agencies operating in the FCT to exercise restraint and notify the police divisions responsible for their areas before conducting authorised operations.
He stressed that effective coordination among security agencies was essential to preventing confrontations and maintaining peace across the territory.
Nigerian gospel singer Laolu Gbenjo has cautioned the public against spreading unverified information about the circumstances surrounding the death of his colleague, Bayonile Bolaji, popularly known as Toluwanisings.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Gbenjo’s warning comes amid growing controversy surrounding the late singer’s death and burial arrangements, with reports of disagreements among members of his family.
The gospel singer spoke on Tuesday during a night of tributes held in honour of Toluwanisings in Ibadan, Oyo State. He warned against allowing the situation to degenerate into a controversy similar to the one that followed the death of Nigerian singer Mohbad.
Describing the deceased as a devoted Christian and a genuine servant of God, Gbenjo said Toluwanisings was passionate about his faith and had a good relationship with people.
He urged the public to stop fuelling unnecessary controversy over the late singer’s death, particularly through social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
“You can never see Toluwani in the midst of jobless people. He had a good heart. He was a friend to everybody. He served the Lord with all his heart. Don’t turn Toluwani into Mohbad. That madness on TikTok and Instagram must stop. If you are jobless, go and look for a job,” Gbenjo said.
Meanwhile, comedians Ayobami Ajewole, popularly known as Woli Agba, and Olamide Oladimeji, also known as Dele Omo Woli, have threatened legal action against individuals allegedly linking them to Toluwanisings’ death.
Woli Agba disclosed this in a public notice shared on his Instagram page on Sunday.
In the notice issued by their solicitors, Gemgold, the comedians warned members of the public against publishing or circulating allegations they described as false and defamatory against them.
The legal notice maintained that the allegations were baseless and intended to damage the reputations of the two entertainers.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed December 2, 2026, for judgment in the ₦1 billion fundamental rights suit filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other respondents.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik set the date after lawyers representing the parties adopted their respective court processes.
However, El-Rufai’s lawyer was absent when the case was initially called. The judge subsequently deemed the former governor’s filed processes adopted.
Counsel to the ICPC, Abdul Mohammed (SAN), adopted the commission’s court processes and urged the judge to dismiss the suit in its entirety.
Similarly, the lawyer representing the Inspector-General of Police, ACP Ezekiel Rimamsomte, and Maimuna Lami-Shiru, Director of Civil Litigation and Public Law, who appeared on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), adopted their respective processes and asked the court to dismiss the case.
During the proceedings, El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan, arrived in court and apologised for his lateness.
When Akpan sought the court’s permission to adopt his client’s processes, Justice Abdulmalik informed him that the documents had already been deemed adopted.
The judge subsequently adjourned the matter until December 2, 2026, when judgment is expected to be delivered.
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