₦airaland Forum

Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai @elrufai

NIGERIA UPDATE - “Tinubu’s Silent War on the Muslim North, Revisited: New Questions, Familiar Patterns — or More Unfortunate Coincidences?” - By Mohammed Bello Doka- January 17, 2026 - Part 1

I have been insulted, abused, threatened, and even warned of bodily harm and elimination. Some have openly called for my arrest and detention; others have gone as far as wishing me death. Yet I am left with no option but to do what many are too afraid to do: ask the difficult questions. If this burden has been placed on me, I will carry it until freedom or martyrdom—because silence, in moments like this, is complicity.

Most of the abuse followed a single article. That article asked one question—and instead of answers, it provoked rage. This is my response. And when examined closely, it reveals that there are now more questions than answers.

In my last article, I asked a direct question: Is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu waging a quiet war against the Muslim North, or are we merely witnessing a series of coincidences? The response avoided the question. Instead, there were insults, accusations of paranoia, and loud whataboutism.

This Was the Question Then. This Is the Question Now.

Why do power, protection, and proximity to the centre keep moving away from the same bloc?

Why do media accusations of terrorism financing and corruption repeatedly feature Northern Muslim powerbrokers?

Why are institutions, money, and regulatory authority consolidating in one direction, while exposure, insecurity, and political vulnerability concentrate in another?

If this is coincidence, it is an unusually consistent and stubborn one.

Power First: Who Lost What—and When?

The article details a series of political and institutional shifts, noting exits and replacements of major figures:

Abdullahi Umar Ganduje — Muslim, North — exited as APC National Chairman, replaced by Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda — Northern Christian.

The electoral nerve centre shifted from Mahmood Yakubu — Muslim, North — to Joash Amupitan — Northern Christian.

The Defence Ministry changed hands during a national security emergency; Mohammed Badaru Abubakar — Muslim, North — was replaced by a Northern Christian, General Christopher Musa.

Senate security oversight was reshuffled, removing a Muslim, Northern chair.

Elite discussion continues about replacing Vice President Kashim Shettima — Muslim, North — with a Northern Christian in 2027.

The article asks: How many such shifts, all pointing in the same direction, can reasonably be dismissed as random?

Then Exposure: Clear Media Accusations, No Closure

The article also highlights media accusations involving three Northern Muslim figures related to terrorism financing or corruption:

- Tukur Yusuf Buratai

- Faruk Yahaya

- Abubakar Malami, now under EFCC detention (not yet fully known).

The article notes these are accusations—not convictions—and points out that similar allegations are not publicly made against other regional or religious groups.

Beyond Party Lines: Everyone Is Now Expendable

The article claims the pattern of political displacement and legal/ media pressure extends across party lines and includes other Northern Muslim figures such as Nasir El-Rufai, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and others, with investigations or suspicions lingering without judicial closure.

Institutions and Money: Where Power Now Lives

The article also discusses shifts in institutional and economic centres of power towards Lagos—such as headquarters relocations for agencies like FAAN, CBN departments, BOI, NPA, and NIMASA—suggesting this peripheralises regions in the North.

Insecurity and Electoral Weakening

I therefore juxtaposes institutional consolidation with ongoing insecurity in the North—banditry, displacement, and disruption of everyday life—posing the question whether the insecurity outcomes correlate with political weakening.

Mohammed Bello Doka can be reached via bellodoka82@gmail.com
https://desertherald.ng/tinubus-silent-war-on-the-muslim-north-revisited-new-questions-familiar-patterns-or-more-unfortunate-coincidences/

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Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai @elrufai

NIGERIA UPDATE - “Tinubu’s Silent War on the Muslim North, Revisited: New Questions, Familiar Patterns — or More Unfortunate Coincidences?” - By Mohammed Bello Doka- January 17, 2026 - Part 2

Selective Anti-Corruption: The Unanswered Contrast

The article asks why intense anti-corruption focus appears selective, contrasting high-profile Northern Muslim cases with other scandals where consequences were minimal or absent.

Final Challenge: Who Is Safe?

The piece concludes by posing a stark question: if media accusations and political shifts continue, who in the Muslim North will remain politically secure if President Tinubu wins in 2027?

Mohammed Bello Doka can be reached via bellodoka82@gmail.com

https://x.com/i/status/2012861158701617268

Northerners should understand that the era of blackmailing or ego massaging is gone.

Continue pointing fingers in something self inflicted by the northerners . Btw, if the Muslims in North are being affected, why not write Iran same way the christians write Trump. You want to be blaming others on something you could have taken responsibility for ? Hahaha

Meanwhile, some terrorists was given away to our gallant officers over the weekend

https://www.nairaland.com/8601700/failed-terrorists-attack-military-base

The question is whether the allegations raised by the writet is right or wrong ? Stop going off point

helinues:
Northerners should understand that the era of blackmailing or ego massaging is gone.

Continue pointing fingers in something self inflicted by the northerners . Btw, if the Muslims in North are being affected, while not write Iran same way the christians write Trump. You want to be blaming others on something you could have taken responsibility for ? Hahaha

Meanwhile, some terrorists was given away to our gallant officers over the weekend

https://www.nairaland.com/8601700/failed-terrorists-attack-military-base

Tinubu is a Muslim

Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai @elrufai

NIGERIA UPDATE: “Persecution of the north and emerging northern Muslim leaders: Enough is enough”

- by: Bilal Akinola Husayn - October 24, 2025

PART ONE:

Since June 2023, Nigeria has witnessed an unsettling shift, one that threatens its delicate unity, fairness, and social fabric. The north, long a stabilising pillar of the nation’s identity, now finds itself systematically marginalised, politically isolated, and economically weakened.

Across politics, security, religion, and governance, a pattern has emerged, one that paints a disturbing picture of selective justice, religious bias, and deliberate exclusion of northern Muslims from the mainstream of national life.

This is not a mere coincidence; it is a carefully woven web of policies and decisions that together form a quiet but coordinated persecution.

The alleged coup plot, reportedly implicating mostly northern Muslim officers, has exposed yet another layer of discrimination under the so-called Muslim-Muslim ticket of the Tinubu administration.

This selective crackdown appears less about national security and more about optics, a desperate attempt to impress Western audiences and dispel accusations of Christian persecution. Yet, in doing so, it has confirmed precisely what it seeks to deny: that Nigeria’s current leadership has institutionalised bias as state policy.

A pattern too consistent to ignore has emerged: northern Muslim leaders in opposition politics are being systematically targeted and silenced. Prof Usman Yusuf, former executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, an independent-minded person who has challenged some government policies, has been persecuted for voicing his mind and that of many other Nigerians.

Nasir el-Rufai, former governor and outspoken opposition voice, remains under relentless scrutiny despite no proven wrongdoing. Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano faces constant federal interference aimed at undermining his legitimacy. Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, former governor of Sokoto, is also entangled in a web of political hostility.

All the above are facing persecution through proxy mechanisms, primarily via the deployment of a religiously biased anti-corruption agency. These are not isolated incidents; they reflect a coordinated campaign to destroy dissenting northern Muslim voices and dismantle the political strength of the region.

While opposition leaders from the north are being hounded, southern Christian politicians continue to enjoy open protection from the same institutions of state. For instance, Ayo Fayose, former governor of Ekiti state, was hurriedly acquitted in a corruption case, reflecting the biased intent of the Tinubu administration. Similarly, Ifeanyi Okowa, another southern Christian former governor, has had his corruption case swept under the carpet since joining the ruling party.

These cases highlight a growing trend of selective justice and unequal treatment that has become the hallmark of the current administration.

While northern Muslims face ceaseless investigations, arrests, and public humiliation, southern Christian officials accused of grave offences continue to walk free. Consider the cases of Betta Edu, Oju (indicted by the national assembly), and Nnaji, whose forgery allegations remain untouched. No arrests, no hearings, no accountability.

This stark double standard betrays the very spirit of equality before the law. When justice becomes selective, it ceases to be justice; it becomes an instrument of persecution. In this system, the north’s integrity is questioned while the south’s misdeeds are excused, a dangerous imbalance that corrodes national unity and deepens religious mistrust.

https://x.com/i/status/2002460351363776702

Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai @elrufai

NIGERIA UPDATE: “Persecution of the north and emerging northern Muslim leaders: Enough is enough” - by: Bilal Akinola Husayn - October 24, 2025

PART TWO:
Kano — the beating heart of northern identity and commercial nerve center — now finds its revered traditional institution under siege. Once a beacon of stability and moral authority, the emirate has become a battlefield of political manipulation. What should be purely a state matter has now been dragged under federal influence, promoting division among the masses and degenerating into a major security threat ahead of the 2027 elections.

By interfering in traditional affairs and fostering division among rulers, the government is not merely attacking individuals; it is dismantling the cultural spine that binds the north together. Undermining the emirate system erodes centuries of cohesion and replaces wisdom with chaos, a deliberate weakening of northern unity at its very core.

For generations, Nigeria and the Niger Republic have shared intelligence, curbed banditry, and maintained vibrant trade and cultural ties deeply rooted in Hausa-Fulani Muslim heritage. However, the Tinubu administration’s abrupt disengagement from Niger has ruptured centuries of coexistence and cooperation.

The once vibrant, secure cross-border markets of Katsina, Sokoto, and Kebbi now lie silent, leaving traders destitute and communities fractured. By shutting down this vital relationship, the government has not only crippled livelihoods but also sent a clear message that the interests of northern Muslims are dispensable in today’s political calculations.

While economic diplomacy thrives in Lagos and other southwestern states, the north watches as its lifelines are deliberately cut off, a symbolic act of punishment disguised as foreign policy.

While the north bleeds from insecurity, poverty, and underdevelopment, the federal government’s focus remains elsewhere, on luxurious projects like the multitrillion-naira coastal highway, designed primarily to serve southern economic corridors.

Meanwhile, critical infrastructure in the north remains abandoned, and the security situation continues to deteriorate. Members of the armed forces lose their lives daily due to inadequate equipment and poor welfare conditions.

This is not mere neglect; it is an intentional misallocation of national resources that sidelines northern development and undermines Nigeria’s overall progress.

Symbolism in leadership matters. The first lady’s consistent visits to predominantly non-Muslim northern states, where she donates billions of naira to alleviate suffering, while neglecting Muslim-majority areas, reinforces a painful perception of exclusion.

Public engagements that should unify have instead drawn clear lines of division, creating a tale of two norths: one embraced and celebrated, the other ignored and vilified. These optics are not accidental. They feed into a broader narrative of selective inclusion, where political loyalty and religious identity determine who is deemed worthy of attention and compassion.

The unfolding persecution of northern Muslims is more than a political issue; it is a national tragedy in the making. Every act of exclusion, every selective prosecution, every silenced voice chips away at Nigeria’s fragile unity.

If left unchecked, this pattern of bias will drive deeper resentment, sow enduring divisions, and push millions of northern Muslims to believe they have no place in the country they helped build.

Nigeria must remember that the strength of a nation lies not in its highways or speeches, but in its justice, in the fairness with which it treats its people, regardless of faith or geography.

To persecute the north is to endanger Nigeria itself. The time to restore balance, inclusion, and justice is now, before the bonds that hold us together unravel beyond repair.

Husayn is the secretary-general of the Amalgamated Muslim Rights Concerns (AMURIC), Ibadan, Oyo state.

From: theCable

https://x.com/i/status/2002460365326586227

This OP, has a very dark mind.

To him and to so many like him, every decision of government must favour the northern Muslims whether it is right or wrong.

What about other political positions the Northern Muslims are occupying in Nigeria.
The Northern Christians, are they no longer Northerners?

Are there no other religious and ethnic groups in the north.

I am not a fan of Tinubu, but this same influencers/leaders in the north pretended to be asleep when the administration of Buhari appointed only Northern Muslims as if they alone are in Nigeria.
Abi na because Tinubu no carry Elrufai along we no go hear word again? I no blame them, na the Southern politicians wey no sabi their left from their right I go blame. If I be Tinubu I no go listen to any opposition from the north. Enough is enough.
Abeg make I hear word.

kiyosaki1:
The question is whether the allegations raised by the writet is right or wrong ? Stop going off point

That's why I said Elrufai should write Iran and lodge the complain

The writer of this article is bias...who are the ones fueling insecurity in the north ? Must everything in the country be about northern interest alone ? If rogue elements of northern dissent are found wanting by institutions such as the EFCC and ICPC , should they not be investigated ?

The lobbyists have started work.

What can be more than Muslim Muslim Ticket that the PBAT has brought upon the country.

It will be height of unreasonability for anybody to complain even if conscious effort is being made by present administration to balance the equation by appointing some Christians into sensitive positions.

The north don't even rate tinubu at all , it's obvious .

The Northerners compromised themselves and anything their face see shall be it

THE North should go and rest, Nigeria is not only made up of the North.

NaijaRoyalty:
The north don't even rate tinubu at all , it's obvious .

Who cares


He is their president...its not important they like or rate him

Although,it's a lie.....


So EL RUFAI has been reduced to a TRIBAL AND RELIGION JINGOIST.....Politicians and exploiting people sentiments and emotions..how can you being denied ministerial appointment tagged WAR AGAINST THE MUSLIM NORTH..WHEN THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE GOVERNMENT IS EVEN A NORTHERNER

It is either the northern Muslims leaders are buried or they bury Tinubu. But I think the later will prevail.

epainos:
It is either the northern Muslims leaders are buries or they bury Tinubu. But I think the later will prevail.

Then you are in another kind of "BUHARI IS JUBRIL OF SUDAN" delusional world!

The hand of Esau, the voice of Jacob.
Regardless of their antics, Nigeria will definitely rise bove tribal, religious and regional politics one day.

kiyosaki1:
The question is whether the allegations raised by the writet is right or wrong ? Stop going off point

So everything that has to do with North should always go to Muslims? There are no Christians in the North?

Sebi you people have been making mouth that you will kick the President out in 2027.

Election is just a little over a year away.

Mr Rufai doesn't have long to go to remove the President na.

Abi why is he impatient.

Head quarters of Nigerian Port Authority should be in Abuja, not Lagos. How ridiculous

His Media aides in an effort to deceive Trump and Nigerians over insecurities will make him lose northern votes

This country is gone, look at what someone put out? When all this was in the Muslims North, of what benefits was it to you guys?

So for allowing Trump stop terrorism is now a war on muslims. Things are now being exposed. Thank God for Trump

Basic123:
Who cares


He is their president...its not important they like or rate him

Although,it's a lie.....


So EL RUFAI has been reduced to a TRIBAL AND RELIGION JINGOIST.....Politicians and exploiting people sentiments and emotions..how can you being denied ministerial appointment tagged WAR AGAINST THE MUSLIM NORTH..WHEN THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE GOVERNMENT IS EVEN A NORTHERNER

He knows that's the easiest way to stay relevant in Nigeria

Religion this religion that, one of the greatest weapon against Africa growth most especially Nigeria is RELIGION. Until they realize God rewards HARD WORK more than PRAYERS they will remain backward.

This terrorist called bandits will blame everyone for their bombament by the USA...

it' was an Igbo man in onitsha now, it's Tinubu

naptu2:
Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai @elrufai



source

Nothing is here but just political maneuvering from oppositions toward 2027 general election.

But let's say the truth
Tinubu is the only Southern president that got some balls
He is the only Southern person that has put those federal spoilt bratt to their place with some major policies.
Am sure more will come in his second term
He's just relaxing them because reelection.

As long as you're open to talking about the Muslim North Jihad on the Christian Middle-Belt and South?

Lol after Muslim-Muslim ticket of 4 years, you guys are now the victims right? 🤡

By the end of Tinubu's 1st term, it would be 12 years of Muslim presidency, 8 years of Northern muslim presidency and 4 years of muslim-muslim ticket, back to back. So why are you still lamenting?

I know until Boko Haram and bandits takes over the entire country, most of you won't be happy...