El-Rufai’s Past Remarks Haunt Him As Mahdi Shehu Explains Northern Elders’ Silence

Political commentator Mahdi Shehu has offered an explanation for why, according to him, some influential Northern elders have remained silent amid the ongoing legal battles involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

Shehu made the remarks in a video while reflecting on El-Rufai’s relationship with prominent Northern elders and his current legal challenges. El-Rufai is facing ongoing court proceedings, including a case in which the Federal High Court in Abuja is expected to rule on his no-case submission on October 26, 2026.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Shehu argued that El-Rufai’s past comments and actions towards some Northern elders may have contributed to their reluctance to intervene on his behalf.

He recalled comments allegedly made by El-Rufai during the 2023 election campaign, when the former governor reportedly questioned the relevance of traditional Northern elders while defending the position of elected political leaders.

Shehu said the situation had since changed, claiming that some of the elders who were allegedly dismissed by El-Rufai are now choosing to remain silent as he deals with his legal challenges.

The commentator said some of the elders remain influential and could potentially have used their relationships within Nigeria’s political establishment to seek assistance for El-Rufai if their relationship with him had been different.

Shehu further recounted his alleged conversation with an elderly Northern figure, whom he identified as being about 89 years old. According to Shehu, the elder contacted him after watching one of his videos about El-Rufai and later discussed an alleged dispute involving a plot of land in Kaduna.

Shehu claimed that the elder told him the property had been acquired more than two decades earlier, fenced and maintained with the required ground-rent payments before it was allegedly revoked during El-Rufai’s tenure as Kaduna governor.

According to Shehu, the elder said he had attempted to resolve the matter through his son but was allegedly told that, because of his age, he no longer needed the property and should allow younger people to develop it. These claims are Shehu’s account of a private conversation and have not been independently established in court.

Shehu said the elder subsequently indicated that he might have been willing to assist El-Rufai in his present circumstances, but that the former governor’s alleged disparaging comments about Northern elders had affected his willingness to intervene.

He used the account to illustrate what he described as the transient nature of political power, warning public figures against treating people with disregard while they occupy positions of influence.

Shehu also urged people in positions of authority not to assume that those who appear politically weakened will never regain influence. He argued that circumstances can change and that individuals who are powerful at one point may later require the assistance of people they previously overlooked.

His comments come amid continued legal proceedings involving El-Rufai. In a separate fundamental-rights case, the Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned his N1 billion suit against the ICPC, Inspector-General of Police and Attorney-General of the Federation to October 27, while his no-case submission in an alleged unlawful phone-interception case is scheduled for ruling on October 26.