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Bashir el-Rufai launches a blistering attack on his brother, Bello, accusing him of abandoning family loyalty while remaining aligned with Kaduna Governor Uba Sani.
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Bashir alleges Bello only embraced the family’s political camp after realising he was being sidelined by Sani, describing the move as self-serving and hypocritical.
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The bitter exchange comes amid the political realignment ahead of the 2027 elections, following Bello’s defection from the APC to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
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The brothers’ public clash adds another layer to the political crisis surrounding former Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai, who is facing corruption and wiretapping-related prosecutions.
August 29, (THEWILL) — A bitter political and family feud has erupted within the household of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, after his son, Bashir el-Rufai, launched a scathing attack on his brother, Bello, over his political choices.
Bashir, in a series of explosive posts on X on Saturday morning, accused Bello, who represents Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, of putting personal political interests ahead of family loyalty.
The posts, many of which were laced with expletives, followed Bello’s recent defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the platform his father joined after leaving the APC in March 2025.
Bashir questioned why Bello remained politically aligned with Kaduna Governor Uba Sani for so long before eventually moving to the ADC.
“Stuck with Uba Sani until he realised he was being dumped, then suddenly remembered family loyalty and moved to ADC. Where was he since? Purely serving his interest”, Bashir wrote.
He further accused his brother of maintaining a neutral posture while other members of the former governor’s political camp openly criticised Sani.
According to Bashir, Bello had at some point asked him to stop or reduce his criticism of the Kaduna governor, whom he described as his brother’s former political boss.
“At this stage in my life, I hate nonsense”, Bashir added in another post, describing Bello as a hypocrite.
Bashir also made several other allegations against his brother in the series of posts, including claims relating to Bello’s fertility and alleged drug use.
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El-Rufai-Sani Rift
The dispute between Bashir and Bello is rooted in the wider political fallout between their father and Governor Uba Sani.
Sani was a close political associate of Nasir el-Rufai and served as a senator representing Kaduna Central before succeeding him as governor in 2023.
However, the relationship between the two men deteriorated after Sani assumed office, with the former governor and his successor increasingly taking opposing positions on political and governance issues in Kaduna.
The disagreement eventually became a major political fault line in the state, with supporters of both men trading accusations and counter-accusations.
While Nasir el-Rufai eventually severed ties with the APC in March 2025 and moved to the ADC, Bello remained in the ruling party.
The younger el-Rufai continued to maintain his political affiliation with the APC until May 7, 2026, when he formally defected to the ADC, joining his father in the opposition party.
His defection appeared to mark a significant shift in his political alignment and further fuelled speculation about the possibility of the el-Rufai political camp consolidating under the ADC ahead of 2027.
But Bashir’s latest outburst suggests that the move has not translated into unity within the family.
Bashir’s central accusation was that Bello’s decision to join the ADC was motivated less by family loyalty or political conviction and more by his perception that his relationship with Sani was no longer politically beneficial.
He suggested that Bello only returned to the family’s political fold after concluding that he was being pushed aside.
The accusation is particularly significant because Bello had remained within the APC despite his father’s departure from the party, creating a visible political divide between members of the el-Rufai family.
Bashir’s comments therefore appear to reopen that old division, questioning the circumstances surrounding Bello’s eventual defection and his renewed alignment with their father.
The family dispute comes as Nasir el-Rufai faces serious legal challenges over his eight-year tenure as governor of Kaduna State. El-Rufai has been in custody since February 2026 in connection with allegations of financial impropriety arising from his tenure as governor between 2015 and 2023.
On April 13, 2026, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arraigned him before the Kaduna State High Court on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office. El-Rufai has denied wrongdoing and rejected the allegations against him.
Separately, the Department of State Services (DSS) is prosecuting the former governor before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations relating to wiretapping.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
