The sons of former Kaduna State governor Nasir el-Rufai, Bashir and Bello el-Rufai, have engaged in a bitter public spat, with Bashir launching a series of scathing attacks against his brother over his political choices.
Bashir, in a series of expletive-laden posts on X on Saturday, accused Bello, a member of the House of Representatives, of abandoning the family for political interests.
The latest dispute appears to be rooted in Bello’s previous relationship with Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, a former political ally of their father.
Sani succeeded el-Rufai as governor in 2023, but the relationship between the two men later deteriorated.
While el-Rufai resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in March 2025, Bello remained in the ruling party and continued to align with Sani.
Bello eventually defected from the APC to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on May 7, 2026, joining his father in the opposition party.
But Bashir, reacting to his brother’s political move, accused him of only remembering family loyalty after his relationship with Sani had broken down.
“Stuck with Uba Sani until he realised he is being dumped then suddenly remembered family loyalty and moved to ADC. Where was he since? Purely serving his interest,” Bashir wrote.
He also accused Bello of remaining silent while others criticised the Kaduna governor and alleged that his brother had previously asked him to tone down his criticism of Sani.
“At this stage in my life, I hate nonsense,” Bashir added in another post, describing his brother as a hypocrite.
Bashir reportedly made several other allegations against Bello in the series of posts, some of which were later deleted. The deleted posts reportedly included personal allegations concerning Bello’s fertility status and alleged drug use.
The public clash comes amid a turbulent period for the el-Rufai family, with their father facing legal proceedings over allegations linked to his tenure as Kaduna governor between 2015 and 2023.
El-Rufai has been in custody since February 2026 over an ongoing investigation into alleged financial impropriety.
On April 13, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arraigned him before the Kaduna State High Court on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office.
The Department of State Services (DSS) is also prosecuting the former governor before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations relating to wiretapping.
The latest public exchange between Bashir and Bello adds another layer to the political and personal tensions surrounding the el-Rufai family.