Kaduna Politics Widens Rift Between El-Rufai Brothers

A fresh disagreement has emerged between the sons of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai following a public clash between Bashir El-Rufai and his elder brother, Bello.

Bello, who represents Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, came under attack from Bashir over his political position and relationship with former allies of their father.

Bashir accused his brother of hypocrisy, abandoning the family and pursuing his personal political interests. He also made unverified allegations of substance abuse against Bello.

The dispute appears to be connected to the longstanding political disagreement between their father and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani.

Bashir has been a strong critic of Sani, regularly attacking the governor’s administration on social media. Bello, on the other hand, had maintained a closer relationship with Sani and previously described the governor as a political mentor.

The relationship between Sani and Nasir El-Rufai deteriorated after Sani accused the previous administration of leaving his government with substantial financial obligations. The governor said his administration inherited debts of $587 million, N85 billion and 115 contractual liabilities, which he said affected the state’s finances.

The political disagreement has since created different positions among members of the El-Rufai family.

Bashir accused Bello of remaining loyal to Sani until their political relationship became strained before moving closer to the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

He questioned why his brother did not stand with the family earlier when Bashir was openly criticising the governor.

The latest exchange has further exposed the political differences between the brothers, with Bashir accusing Bello of acting out of political self-interest rather than family loyalty.

The dispute comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections, with former political allies in Kaduna realigning and preparing for new contests.