ADEDAYO OLORUNTOBI contends that defending allies should not come at the expense of institutional credibility
Public debate in Nigeria often thrives on strong opinions, but it also demands intellectual honesty. Recent remarks by former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi in defence of embattled former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai raise important questions about political responsibility, narrative framing, and the danger of deflecting from substantive issues. His intervention, widely circulated across social media, appears less a reasoned defence than a classic political red herring, diverting attention from serious allegations toward speculative claims and conspiratorial narratives.
At the heart of the controversy are allegations involving intercepted communications linked to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. El-Rufai himself made public remarks admitting surveillance activity of Ribadu, comments that have since attracted legal and political scrutiny. Rather than engaging the gravity of those statements, Amaechi’s defence pivots sharply toward claims of political vendetta, presidential ambitions, and alleged manipulation of opposition politics. The shift is arguably problematic.
