El-Rufai Claims Tinubu Govt Sponsored U.S. Sanctions Against Kwankwaso Over Refusal to Join APC

In what is rapidly becoming a “State of Harmony” turned into a theatre of war, former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai has accused the Tinubu administration of orchestrating an international plot to “destroy” Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Speaking on Arise TV Friday night, El-Rufai alleged that the Federal Government is leveraging its massive $9 million foreign lobbying machinery to ensure U.S. lawmakers target the NNPP leader with visa bans and asset freezes.

The “Accidental Public Servant,” who is currently locked in his own legal battle with the DSS and EFCC, claimed that Kwankwaso’s inclusion in a U.S. religious freedom bill is a calculated “political hit.” According to El-Rufai, the move is a direct consequence of Kwankwaso’s refusal to fold his political structure into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“I am trying to figure out whether it is the nine million dollars lobby money that led to the listing of Kwankwaso because he has refused to move to the APC,” El-Rufai said. “The evil this government is capable of is beyond imagination. They may be behind it because they know Kwankwaso is considering a move to the ADC, and they cannot think of any other way to stop him.”

El-Rufai went further to mock the “religious fanaticism” allegations against the former Kano Governor. He pointed out the hypocrisy of targeting Kwankwaso for the implementation of Sharia law while ignoring APC stalwarts like Ahmed Yerima and Abdulaziz Yari, who presided over the strict enforcement of the code in Zamfara. “Those who actually oversaw amputations are walking free in the APC today. Nobody is mentioning them. Why single out Kwankwaso, whose implementation was far more moderate?” he questioned.

The allegations have added a radioactive layer to the already tense relationship between the Presidency and the Northern political elite. While the Federal Government has previously described such claims as “sensationalist drama,” El-Rufai’s decision to name the $9 million lobby fund suggests a new, more aggressive phase in the opposition’s strategy to paint the administration as a “tyranny” ahead of 2027.

As the U.S. bill moves through Congress, the focus has shifted from the accusations of religious persecution to the internal “dirty war” within Nigeria’s political class. For El-Rufai, the message is clear: the greenback is being used as a weapon, and the “lion of Kano” is simply the latest target.