Maikori Accuses Ex‑Governor El‑Rufai of Persecution Over 2017 Tweet

Maikori Accuses Ex‑Governor El‑Rufai of Persecution Over 2017 Tweet

Audu Maikori, Founder and Chairman of Chocolate City Entertainment, has accused former Nasir El‑Rufai of persecuting him in connection with his 2017 social media post, saying that the handling of the matter — including his arrest and subsequent fallout — extended far beyond what was warranted and reflected a broader pattern of intimidation against critics. Maikori spoke on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Monday, using his right of reply after El‑Rufai addressed the controversy in a separate appearance the previous Friday. He acknowledged the post that triggered the crisis, explained how he retracted it when he realised it was false, and insisted that he was singled out and pursued long after the matter was legally closed. “It’s not personal. It is about setting the record straight and getting the facts right,” Maikori said. “Ex‑governor El‑Rufai has a penchant for recreating stories. Everything he said is untrue. And it’s important for posterity that the record reflects the truth.”

On February 18, 2017, Maikori was detained by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) following tweets in which he claimed that five students of the College of Education, Gidan Waya had been killed in violence in Southern Kaduna. The post generated widespread attention and controversy, leading to criticism from El‑Rufai, then governor of Kaduna State, who said the claims were unverified, potentially inflammatory, and could aggravate security tensions if left unchecked. El‑Rufai argued at the time that publishing unverified figures could heighten distrust among communities and jeopardise lives and property — a position consistent with broader government efforts to curb misinformation during periods of insecurity. The DSS subsequently detained Maikori and others perceived to be fuelling the narrative.

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Maikori said that as soon as he realised the information was inaccurate, he acted to correct the record. He and his driver went to the first police station available in Lekki, Lagos, where he filed a formal statement explaining that the original claim was based on inaccurate information from the driver, who later confessed to having made up the story for personal reasons. Maikori said he contacted the Attorney General of Kaduna State, Amina Sijuade, to notify her of his intention to retract the post. Maikori said a detailed retraction was published on 4 February 2017, including an apology not only to El‑Rufai but to all those affected.

Despite this, Maikori alleges that El‑Rufai did not let the matter rest. He said that after he was released — following the driver’s confession and the DSS investigation — El‑Rufai continued to publicly associate him with violence, alleging in other forums that Maikori’s tweet was linked to deaths in the region and hinting at prosecution. Maikori described this as unwarranted interference beyond the authority of a state governor, noting that the police discharged him after clarifying the facts.

Maikori argued that the courts subsequently confirmed that his arrest had been unlawful. Both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal reportedly awarded him damages, ruling against the legality of his detention. He said El‑Rufai then took the matter to the Supreme Court, where the case is still pending, with Maikori confident of prevailing. He said any damages awarded “will be used to support journalists and others who lack access to legal representation.”

Maikori challenged what he called a double standard in how El‑Rufai handled public information. He cited a 2019 incident in Kaduna’s Kajuru Local Government Area, where the ex‑governor publicly released casualty figures that were later challenged by security authorities as unverified. Maikori said that despite warnings from the state’s Police Commissioner, El‑Rufai repeated and amplified the figures without issuing a retraction or apology, even as others were detained. He also referred to the arrest of nine elders of the Adara community, whom he said were jailed for extended periods without prompt bail or clear evidence — illustrating, in his view, a pattern of targeting critics and communities without adequate due process.

He also cited additional cases under El‑Rufai’s administration, including the prolonged detention of Charles Steve Kefferson and alleged harassment of his own lawyer, Gloria Ballas, whom he said faced intimidation compelling her to seek court protection.

While defending his motivations, Maikori criticised what he called El‑Rufai’s leadership approach, contrasting it with the record of the current Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, whom he said had restored peace and improved security within a short period compared with the previous eight years. Maikori suggested that El‑Rufai’s refusal to acknowledge mistakes stemmed partly from political disappointment after failing to secure a ministerial appointment and losing political influence. He described this pattern of behaviour — defending positions even when disproven — as “sour grapes,” arguing that it reflected an unwillingness to separate personal ambition from public duty.

Maikori confirmed that he is now a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) but noted that the dispute dates back to when both he and El‑Rufai belonged to the same party, suggesting the issue transcends partisan labels and speaks to broader concerns about leadership, accountability, and free expression.

Maikori Accuses Ex‑Governor El‑Rufai of Persecution Over 2017 Tweet