Bashir El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has reignited the debate on Nigeria’s unity, declaring that he does not subscribe to the idea of “One Nigeria.” Instead, he insists that regional autonomy remains the only viable solution to the country’s challenges.
According to El-Rufai, the persistent blame games between different regions of the country can only be addressed through regional autonomy. In a post shared on his X handle on Tuesday, he expressed strong dissatisfaction with the current structure of Nigeria.
“Regional autonomy can easily solve this situation of blame games,” he said.
“It is crucial as all citizens of said regions would be cognisant of who they can directly hold responsible for their woes.”
The younger El-Rufai’s statement has been interpreted as a jab at President Bola Tinubu, whom he referred to as “Escobar” in the text. The nickname is rooted in long-standing allegations from the 1990s, when Tinubu was linked to a drug trafficking investigation in the United States. Court records show that Tinubu forfeited $460,000 to the U.S. government in connection with a cocaine-related case, although he was never convicted.
Critics have used this forfeiture to question his integrity and draw parallels to Pablo Escobar, one of the most notorious drug traffickers in history.
Interestingly, El-Rufai’s statement echoes a decades-old stance once attributed to President Tinubu himself.
A report in ThisDay dated April 13, 1997, quoted Tinubu as saying, “I don’t believe in One Nigeria.” The old report suggested that President Tinubu, during his years as an opposition figure, once expressed skepticism about Nigeria’s unity.
El-Rufai’s criticism of the “One Nigeria” concept is not new. He has previously lashed out at President Tinubu, likening him to Pablo Escobar. In February 2025, he warned that President Tinubu would be making his greatest mistake if he attempted to arrest his father. “I have been hearing these same rumours of arrest, detention and torture in some dungeon in the NSA’s office (where Emefiele was allegedly tortured to resign as CBN governor) since July 2024 when the so-called report of the Kaduna Assembly began circulating,” he said.
“Na the biggest mistake Pablo Escobar & his henchmen will make.”
In another instance, on July 31, 2024, Bashir El-Rufai again mocked President Tinubu as Pablo, ridiculed the first lady, Remi Tinubu, and praised Peter Obi as a potential presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
“Obi as a flag bearer with a strong Northern candidate would defeat Pablo on Election Day before our dear mother of the Nation — Aunty Remi finishes his breakfast around 12 noon,” El-Rufai predicted. While praising former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as “a force to be reckoned with,” El-Rufai hinged his prediction of victory for the opposition on “the sheer force of Obi’s numbers and cult-like follower-ship brings a challenge.” “His appeal across the youth and this younger generation is one profound aspect of his leverage,” he added.
