Anyone is free to be a hack for hire, but you would expect that, at least for the sake of retaining a little credibility for the next assignment, the hired hack would show a bit of concern for facts. Facts are important in political commentary as they are in any field that is distinct from the writing of fables.
It is easy to pick apart the commissioned lies that Abdullahi O Haruna Haruspice rushed to press with in his write-up on the twists and turns in the El-Rufai/Ribadu relationship. The lies can be debunked in sequence, starting from the falsehood in the very first paragraph.
1. The Return of Yasmin El-Rufai’s Corpse
The first falsehood revolves around the tragic incident of Yasmin El-Rufai’s death in 2011. Abdullahi O Haruna Haruspice suggests that Nuhu Ribadu brought her corpse home to Nigeria from London, but that is a patent falsehood. Those who made the arrangements and brought the body home are alive. If Haruspice was fed a tale to lead his article, he would be well advised to be more alert and avoid being seen as a fable-recycling vehicle.
Nasir El-Rufai and Nuhu Ribadu had already parted ways since 2010, a year before Yasmin died. However, Ribadu’s presence at the El-Rufai residence in that sorrowful moment misled many sympathisers to believe they were still close.
Hon. Bello El-Rufai has already posted on X that it was his dear uncle Bashir El-Rufai that brought Yasmin’s body back home. Needless to say, It is crude and tasteless to play politics with death and to attach lies to a family’s memory of grief.
The ACN Presidential Ticket of 2011
In 2010, talks between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Good Governance Group (3G) during meetings held in Dubai and Accra discussed an alliance between the two for the 2011 elections. The 3G was focused on internal democracy and competitive primaries, while the ACN wanted the talks to simply produce a 3G presidential candidate with an ACN running mate. Nuhu Ribadu who was absent at these meetings later went behind the 3G members to accept the ACN’s presidential ticket with alacrity in June 2010. The narrative pushed by Haruspice suggests envy from El-Rufai towards Ribadu for accepting the ticket. Again, this shows the exploitation of the writer’s limited knowledge of the issues. The real issue lay in the fact that Ribadu did not inform his friend El-Rufai when he accepted the offer, choosing instead to launch a campaign of calumny against El-Rufai.
2. Ribadu’s Gubernatorial Bid in 2015
Ribadu shifted his focus to state-level politics in 2015, contesting for the governorship of Adamawa State on the platform of the PDP. The strangeness of this move was underscored by the fact that the ACN, whose presidential flagbearer he had been just four years earlier, was part of the coalition that had just formed the All Progressives Congress (APC), in time for the 2015 elections. Interested persons can check the story of his defection in The Cable of 17 August 2014, titled “Revealed: Real reason Ribadu defected to PDP”. The story is revealing of Ribadu’s attitude to the leaders of the former ACN after his 2011 electoral mishap.
The Cable reported in that 2014 story that :
“Ribadu surprised many political analysts in 2010 when he joined the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN, now part of APC) to contest for the 2011 presidential election against President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP.
However, he only won in Osun State out of the states under the control of ACN in what many alleged was a betrayal by the ACN leaders who were said to have struck a secret deal with Jonathan before the poll.
“Nuhu took it on his chin then, hoping that 2011 was a good introduction to politics for him. But recent events in APC have demonstrated to him that he is no longer wanted in the party,” the associate said.
There are also bigger calculations about 2019 ─ when presidency is expected to return to the north if Jonathan contests and is re-elected next year.
Ribadu could be in the frame then.”
The 2015 polls showed that Ribadu’s political calculations didn’t add up as APC went on to win the presidency and the governorship of Adamawa.
However, for Nasir El-Rufai, this misstep did not mean that Ribadu should be consigned to the political fringes.
3. The Political Maneuvering for 2019
As the 2019 elections approached, Nasir El-Rufai attempted to mend fences by reaching out to then-Governor Jubrilla Bindow of Adamawa to support Nuhu Ribadu for a senatorial seat. El-Rufai sent this message to Ribadu through Uba Sani (now his co-conspirator in the bring down El-Rufai crusade). However, Ribadu snubbed this outreach, asserting instead that he was the most popular politician in the state and could aim for the governorship instead.
Nothing came of that delusion in 2019. As it was that year, so it was in 2022 when Aisha Binani defeated Ribadu in the Adamawa APC governorship primaries.
4. Return to Prominence
The winds blew in Ribadu’s favour in 2023 after showing a persistent inability to be electable (2011 for the presidency and for state governor in 2015 and 2023).
In 2023, Ribadu experienced a resurgence in his political career with his appointment as the National Security Adviser (NSA). This role placed him at the forefront of addressing the myriad security challenges facing the country. It presented Ribadu with a critical choice: to prioritize national security and tackle the pressing issues head-on or to pursue personal agendas in collaboration with a select group of individuals driven by personal insecurities.
5. Suggested readings
Haruspice may wish to ask those who commissioned him about how El-Rufai provided Ribadu every assistance to get the EFCC up and running, launching him on a path to national prominence. In the meantime, he can consult Wale Adebanwi’s 2010 book, A Paradise for Maggots. He may also invite his sponsors to react to the relevant pages on the El-Rufai/Ribadu relationship in The Accidental Public Servant, El-Rufai’s 2013 book.
6. The Importance of Integrity in Political Commentary
The detailed analysis of these events highlights the critical importance of integrity in political commentary. In an era where misinformation can spread rapidly and influence public opinion, the role of fact-checking and adherence to truth becomes paramount.
Hacks for hire must be wary of commissioned lies, as their short-term gains could lead to long-term losses in reputation and trust.
In conclusion, the case of El-Rufai and Ribadu underscores the necessity for accuracy and honesty in political journalism. It serves as a reminder that, while anyone can be hired to write, maintaining a commitment to the truth is essential for preserving credibility and fostering an informed electorate.
