Abuja — A bitter public feud within the family of former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai escalated over the weekend after his son Bashir El-Rufai launched a series of scathing, expletive-laden attacks on social media against his elder brother.
Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency was accused of several things.
In posts on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, August 29, some of which were later deleted, Bashir accused Bello of hypocrisy, political opportunism, substance abuse, and disloyalty to the family. The outburst centered on Bello’s political alignments amid the long-running rift between their father and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani.
Bashir claimed Bello remained aligned with Sani “until he realised he was being dumped,” only then defecting to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) — the party their father joined after leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) — and invoking family loyalty for personal gain. “Stuck with Uba Sani until he realised he was being dumped, then suddenly remembered family loyalty and moved to ADC. Where has he been since? Purely serving his interest,” Bashir wrote. He further alleged that Bello had urged him to tone down criticism of Sani and branded his brother a hypocrite, declaring, “At this stage in my life, I hate nonsense.”
The posts turned highly personal. Bashir accused Bello of preferring “alcohol and cocaine,” writing in graphic terms about an alleged “white substance around his nostrils every night” and describing him as unfit to represent constituents. He also made unsubstantiated claims about Bello’s private life, including references to IVF conception of children.
Tensions escalated further when Bashir alleged that Bello had told him to kill himself. In response, Bashir posted inflammatory remarks, including a suggestion that Bello should first harm his own daughter to prove seriousness. In a related exchange, responding to a comment suggesting violence, Bashir stated he keeps “guns and knives at my bedside.” He also warned against direct confrontation, claiming a physical clash would end fatally for his sibling.
In a subsequent post reported on Sunday, Bashir issued a direct threat: “I will destroy you & climb my bed and sleep peacefully.”
Bello, who remained in the APC longer than his father before defecting to the ADC on May 7, 2026, has not publicly responded to the specific allegations in the available reports. The exact trigger for the latest outburst remains unclear, though it appears linked to ongoing political divisions in Kaduna State stemming from the breakdown in relations between Nasir El-Rufai and his successor, Governor Sani. Their father has faced prolonged legal troubles, including detention and charges related to alleged corruption and abuse of office.
The public airing of the family dispute drew widespread condemnation online. Users advised settling private matters offline, with one warning that destroying a brother would only damage the family’s name further. Another expressed distrust of anyone who would attack their own blood relative so publicly. Bashir replied to one critic with “Sorry sir. Had to be said.”
The episode has thrust the El-Rufai family further into the spotlight, highlighting deep internal cracks against the backdrop of their father’s political and legal challenges. No formal statements from other family members or political associates were immediately available. The allegations of drug use and other personal claims remain unverified and are denied by implication through the lack of response so far.
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