Phone Tapping: El-Rufai should be probed, says Onanuga

Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has called for a thorough investigation into claims by former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai that he accessed an intercepted phone conversation of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

Onanuga, in a post on X, described El-Rufai’s public disclosure as a confession and questioned whether the former governor and unnamed associates possess wire tapping capabilities.

“El-Rufai confesses to wire tapping Nigeria’s NSA on TV. Does it mean that he and his collaborators have wire tapping facilities?” Onanuga wrote.

He added that the matter must be thoroughly investigated, stressing that no individual is above the law.

“This should be thoroughly investigated and punishment meted out. El-Rufai is not too big to face the wrath of the law,” he stated.

El-Rufai had made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television, where he claimed that “someone tapped” Ribadu’s phone, enabling him to listen to a conversation in which the NSA allegedly ordered his arrest.

He said he was nearly detained upon arriving at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after returning to the country.

According to the former governor, officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) approached him at the airport but did not present a formal arrest warrant, letter of invitation, or court order.

However, he admitted the act was illegal but argued that the government routinely engages in similar practices without court authorisation.

“The government thinks they are the only ones that listen to calls but we also have our ways,” he said.

Daily Trust reports that the latest exchange adds another layer to the widening political gulf between El-Rufai and the presidency.

Once considered a key ally of President Tinubu in the build up to the 2023 general election, El-Rufai’s relationship with the administration became strained after he was nominated for a ministerial position but was subsequently dropped following “security clearance” concerns raised by the Senate.

Since then, the former governor has become increasingly vocal in his criticism of the federal government’s policies and has questioned the direction of governance under Tinubu.

The presidency, on its part, has largely maintained a measured response to his criticisms until the latest development, which directly touches on national security.

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