Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has taken a swipe at the former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, over his recent claims about National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu.

In a post on his official Facebook page, Omokri described El-Rufai as a "drowning man" trying to drag credible individuals down with him as his political relevance wanes.

According to Omokri, El-Rufai has found himself increasingly sidelined in both state and national politics.

His reaction follows El-Rufai’s accusation that Ribadu is a liar after the NSA denied ever labeling President Bola Tinubu as corrupt during his tenure as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Omokri further claimed that El-Rufai is bitter because he lost influence in Kaduna, where the governor refused to be his "Man Friday," and also failed to secure a ministerial position after Kaduna residents raised multiple petitions against him. The petitions alleged that El-Rufai had paid off killer herdsmen responsible for the Southern Kaduna genocide, with the killings reportedly stopping after he left office.

Omokri argued that El-Rufai is now shifting his focus to Malam Nuhu Ribadu, a man widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most principled public servants.

However, he insisted that a closer look at the evidence provided by El-Rufai suggests that his claims lack substance.

“In a 2006 statement, Ribadu made a general remark about all serving governors at the time, stating that they were fortunate not to have faced the same fate as convicted former governors Joshua Dariye and Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

“Contrary to El-Rufai’s claims, Ribadu did not single out or accuse then-Governor Tinubu of corruption, nor did he confirm that an EFCC investigation had found him guilty of any wrongdoing,” Omokri stated.

He argued that Ribadu’s statement was part of a broader law enforcement strategy aimed at deterring corruption among political officeholders, similar to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) “show of force” tactics.

“The EFCC, still in its infancy at the time, sought to establish its authority and reinforce the perception that all public officials were under scrutiny,” he added.

El-Rufai has cited transcripts from Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings to support his claims. However, Omokri challenged him to produce these documents, questioning their authenticity.

He also pointed out that Ribadu’s later relationship with Tinubu—especially his emergence as the Action Congress of Nigeria’s (ACN) presidential candidate in 2011, a move reportedly facilitated by Tinubu—contradicts El-Rufai’s allegations.

Omokri further criticized El-Rufai for his history of shifting loyalties.

“In 2010, he was a vocal critic of then-General Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as ‘perpetually unelectable’ due to his authoritarian past. Just months later, El-Rufai aligned himself with Buhari, becoming one of his most ardent supporters,” he stated.