Kperogi: Why El-Rufai, Malami Don’t Deserve Sympathy
Renowned academic and social commentator, Farooq Kperogi has weighed in on the current legal and political travails facing former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, describing their situation as a “political and karmic” consequence of their own past actions.
In a scathing opinion piece titled “No Tears for El-Rufai, Malami,” Kperogi addressed the growing narrative from some quarters that the two political heavyweights are victims of “selective justice” under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
While Kperogi acknowledged that the current anti-corruption drive appears to target only those who have fallen out of favour with the ruling APC—noting that “not even a single manifestly and self-evidently corrupt, Tinubu-supporting APC member is being tried”—he argued that both men are fundamentally stripped of any right to public compassion.
A Legacy of “Power First, Compassion Damned”
Kperogi condemned El-Rufai’s long-standing reputation for ruthlessness, dating back to his time as FCT Minister. He referenced the “cruel, unjust Abuja demolitions” that displaced nearly one million residents, earning El-Rufai the moniker “Mai Rusau” (The Demolisher).
“The ruthlessness and human cost of those actions were early glimpses of the governing philosophy that made El-Rufai who he is: power first and only, compassion be damned,” Kperogi wrote.
The columnist further alleged that during El-Rufai’s tenure as governor of Kaduna State, he “hunted and hounded opponents” with a severity unparalleled in the state’s history, characterizing the former governor as having a “predilection for unleashing and celebrating murderous violence against people who disagree with him politically.”
Malami: The “Salesman of Impunity”
Turning his attention to Abubakar Malami, the former Minister of Justice, Kperogi argued that his case is even harder to sentimentalize.
He accused Malami of weaponizing the “public interest” to bypass the rule of law, citing the federal government’s repeated refusal to obey court orders regarding the release of Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, Sambo Dasuki, and Omoyele Sowore.
“Once an attorney-general publicly teaches the state that court orders are optional whenever power invokes ‘public interest,’ he licenses impunity from the highest legal office in the land,” Kperogi stated, labeling Malami a “doctrinal salesman” for executive lawlessness.
“Karmic” Justice
Kperogi dismissed the defense offered by the African Democratic Congress (ADC)—to which both men have reportedly drifted—as hypocritical. He argued that the “selective justice” they now complain of is the very “moral and political ecology” in which they both flourished while in power.
In a poignant conclusion, Kperogi noted the irony of their current predicament:
“Their tragedy is that they are being treated in ways that are utterly familiar in Nigeria, except that they are no longer on the dispensing end of the familiar cruelty. I will reserve my tears for worthier people.”
While maintaining that everyone, including El-Rufai and Malami, deserves due process under the law, Kperogi warned against “canonizing” them as martyrs.
He asserted that nothing in their public records suggests they would act differently if they were to regain the “commanding heights of power.”
