Bashir El-Rufai Attacks Brother Bello Amid Family and Political Rift

A significant family rift has publicly erupted within the household of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, with his son, Bashir El-Rufai, launching a series of social media attacks against his elder brother, Bello El-Rufai.

Bello, who currently represents the Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, became the target of Bashir's posts across various platforms.

Bashir accused his brother of substance abuse, hypocrisy, and a profound betrayal of family loyalty amidstthe ongoing political disagreement between their father, Nasir El-Rufai, and his successor, Governor Uba Sani.

In his posts, Bashir did not hold back, making highly personal and derogatory claims against Bello. He wrote, “I have a useless excuse for a brother, with his bony-ass face coated with an unknown white substance around his nostrils every night. That is your Member of the House of Representatives, representing a whole constituency, but he prefers alcohol and cocaine.”

Bashir also reacted angrily to an alleged statement from Bello, stating, “Wawa (Fool). Telling me to kill myself—the idiot should first slaughter his daughter, then I will believe he is real and serious. Someone who had to wank to conceive children through IVF is the one sitting on a high horse. Go fix your balls. Your wives, both ex and present, were not the problem.”

The underlying political context for this family feud is the strained relationship between Nasir El-Rufai and Governor Uba Sani.

Governor Sani, once a political protégé and key ally of the elder El-Rufai, revealed that his administration inherited a massive debt profile totaling $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities.

He claimed these financial burdens severely hampered the state's ability to pay salaries and execute essential development projects and this statement sparked significant tension and controversy.

This political fallout caused sharp divisions among Nasir El-Rufai’s sons. Bashir consistently attacked Governor Sani online, labeling his administration incompetent and at times referring to him as the “towel governor.”

Conversely, Bello, the federal lawmaker, initially distanced himself from Bashir’s public criticisms and maintained his loyalty to Sani, whom he credited as a political mentor.

Bashir highlighted this apparent shift, stating, “He was stuck with Uba Sani until he realised he was being dumped, then suddenly remembered family loyalty and moved to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Where was he before then?”

Bashir further alleged that his brother's actions were purely self-serving and opportunistic. He accused Bello of abandoning the family's cause when it was crucial, noting, “He is purely serving his own interests. When people like us were countering the ‘towel governor,’ the bastard was nowhere to be found—hiding, eating, and wiping his mouth. This is the same idiot who asked me to pipe down on my criticisms.”

The latest escalation by Bashir particularly centered on the accusation that Bello only returned to demonstrate family loyalty after his own standing with Governor Sani deteriorated, prompting allegations of opportunistic political maneuvering and betrayal.

Beyond the sibling conflict, Bashir El-Rufai has also publicly expressed his deep resentment towards the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Following his father's detention by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for alleged corruption during his tenure as governor, Bashir vowed to never forgive the APC for attacking his family “at its weakest hour.”

He declared his intent to acquire power for the sole reason of “terrorising” those within the APC, stating, “Even if my father emerges from his ordeal like Gandhi and forgives and forgets, I won’t. I will acquire power somehow for the sole reason of terrorising those (APC) that attacked like wolves upon my family at our weakest. Friend or foe, it won’t matter.”

He made a singular exception for Mahmud Ribadu, whom he identified as his biological brother.