ABUJA — The political warfare between former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai and the Presidency took a nuclear turn on Thursday, February 19, 2026, as El-Rufai’s media team released a “shattering” throwback video of National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu detailing his past investigation into President Bola Tinubu.
The footage, recorded during Ribadu’s tenure as the pioneer Chairman of the EFCC, captures him testifying before the Nigerian Senate. In the clip, Ribadu explicitly tells lawmakers that his investigation revealed then-Governor Tinubu was “sitting on over 75% of Lagos State funds.”
The “Amnesia” Strategy
The release is being viewed as a calculated “revenge move” by El-Rufai, who is currently battling a three-front legal war involving the EFCC, ICPC, and the DSS. By surfacing this video, the El-Rufai camp aims to highlight the perceived hypocrisy of Ribadu serving as the top security officer for a man he once labeled a “unique case” of corruption with an “international dimension.”
In the 2006 testimony, Ribadu told the Senate that Tinubu’s financial dealings were so complex that they required international cooperation to untangle. Fast forward to 2026, and the same Ribadu has dismissed these claims as “baseless,” asserting he never officially categorized the President as corrupt.
“The Theatre of the Absurd” — Nigerians React with Scorn
The resurfacing of the “75% indictment” has triggered a wave of visceral anger and biting mockery from a public exhausted by the shifting alliances of the political elite.
- “No Permanent Enemies”: “In Nigeria, a thief today is a saint tomorrow, provided he has a government appointment,” remarked an Abuja-based political analyst. “Ribadu told the whole world Tinubu took 75% of Lagos money, and today he is the one guarding the President’s bedroom. It’s a national embarrassment.”
- “Selective Justice”: Critics on social media blasted the government’s attempt to jail El-Rufai for cybercrime and wiretapping while ignoring the NSA’s own past findings. “If the NSA confirmed he sat on 75% of our money, why are they chasing El-Rufai for bugging a phone? They are all birds of a feather,” one viral post on X (formerly Twitter) read.
- “The 75% Question”: Many Nigerians pointed out the irony of the current record-high inflation and economic hardship. “If 75% of Lagos wealth was diverted back then, imagine what is happening now that they are in charge of the whole country,” another resident in Lagos lamented.
A War of Legacies
The leak of the video is seen by analysts as an attempt by the ADC-aligned opposition to strip the Tinubu administration of its moral authority. It paints a picture of a “mutual protection club” where past crimes are forgiven in exchange for present loyalty.
As of Friday morning, February 20, 2026, the Office of the National Security Adviser has not issued a formal rebuttal to the video’s contents. However, with El-Rufai still in ICPC custody, the “Bestie War” between the two former anti-corruption stars shows no signs of a ceasefire.
