El-Rufai Detention: Mahdi Shehu Links Northern Elders’ Silence to 2023 Remarks
El-Rufai Detention: Mahdi Shehu Links Northern Elders’ Silence to 2023 Remarks
By Akin Alade
The continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has taken another political turn after Kaduna-based commentator Mahdi Shehu linked the former governor’s present predicament to his controversial relationship with some Northern elders and influential figures.
El-Rufai has been in custody in connection with ongoing legal proceedings arising from allegations against him, while the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has maintained that his detention is connected to its investigations and prosecution. The former governor has challenged aspects of the process in court. His ₦1 billion fundamental-rights suit against the ICPC, Inspector-General of Police and Attorney-General of the Federation was recently adjourned until October 27, 2026.
But according to Mahdi Shehu, the legal battle is only one part of the story. In an opinion published by Trust Radio, Shehu argued that El-Rufai’s strained relationship with sections of the Northern establishment may have contributed to the limited political intervention on his behalf.
2023 Campaign Remarks Resurface
At the centre of Shehu’s argument are comments attributed to El-Rufai during the 2023 election campaign, when the former Kaduna governor questioned the relevance of individuals presenting themselves as Northern elders.
El-Rufai’s position at the time was that elected political leaders, particularly serving governors, represented the people and should not be overshadowed by unelected figures claiming the authority of Northern elders. The comments generated criticism from some Northern political figures and became another chapter in the former governor’s often combative relationship with influential stakeholders in the region.
For Shehu, those remarks may have left behind grievances that have not disappeared with the passage of time.
‘We Are The Elders’
Shehu’s interpretation is that El-Rufai’s declaration effectively challenged an established political and traditional hierarchy in the North.
According to the account, the former governor had presented himself and elected governors as the real elders of the region, a position that some older political figures allegedly considered disrespectful.
Shehu now argues that when political circumstances changed, some of the people who might ordinarily have mobilised support for El-Rufai may have remembered those earlier confrontations.
That interpretation, however, remains Shehu’s political analysis and does not establish that any Northern elder influenced the ICPC, police, courts or other authorities involved in El-Rufai’s cases.
Alleged Land Dispute
Shehu also recounted the case of an unnamed elder who allegedly had a longstanding dispute over a plot of land in Kaduna.
According to Shehu’s account, the elder claimed that his only plot of land was revoked during El-Rufai’s administration. Shehu further alleged that the elder’s son had approached the former governor with evidence relating to payment of rent to the government, but that the matter was not resolved in the elder’s favour.
The allegation has not been independently established by Nigeria Standard Magazine. Questions surrounding the original allocation, payment records, revocation notice and applicable land laws would need to be answered before responsibility could properly be assigned.
Politics, Power And Consequences
The broader issue raised by Shehu is the relationship between political power and personal alliances.
El-Rufai was one of the most prominent political figures in Northern Nigeria during his years in office. His administration was known for taking firm and sometimes controversial decisions, while his public interventions on national politics frequently generated strong reactions.
His present situation has therefore revived debate about whether political leaders should maintain relationships with influential traditional, political and community figures even when disagreements arise.
The debate has become more prominent following recent public comments from other Northern figures. Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II, for instance, recently expressed concern over El-Rufai’s prolonged detention without conviction and stressed the importance of allowing established institutions and courts to handle corruption cases.
Legal Battle Remains Separate
Despite the political interpretations surrounding El-Rufai’s predicament, the formal legal proceedings remain a separate matter.
The ICPC has consistently maintained that its actions against the former governor are based on allegations and investigations rather than political considerations. The commission has also opposed some of El-Rufai’s applications for bail, citing issues it says are relevant to the ongoing proceedings.
El-Rufai, on his part, has challenged the actions of the authorities and continues to pursue legal remedies through the courts. His fundamental-rights case in Abuja is now scheduled for further hearing on October 27.
The Bigger Northern Question
For Mahdi Shehu, however, the El-Rufai detention controversy provides an opportunity to examine a broader question about leadership in Northern Nigeria: what happens when a powerful political figure falls out with the elders and influential stakeholders who once formed part of the region’s political establishment?
Whether past disagreements have contributed to the present political atmosphere around El-Rufai remains a matter of interpretation. What is established is that his detention has generated competing narratives—one centred on the ongoing legal process and another focused on the political relationships surrounding the former governor.
As the court proceedings continue, attention will remain focused not only on the allegations against El-Rufai but also on the wider political debate over his legacy, his relationships with Northern power brokers and the consequences of his confrontational style during his years in public office.
