SaharaReporters observed that Bashir, known for his combative presence on social media, deleted the tweet shortly after receiving backlash.
Bashir El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has sparked outrage after making a controversial comment on X (formerly Twitter), suggesting that the killings in Southern Kaduna would persist if residents continued to attack Fulani herdsmen.
SaharaReporters observed that Bashir, known for his combative presence on social media, deleted the tweet shortly after receiving backlash.
His comment was in response to a post from an X user, @qykali, who had criticised him for referring to President Bola Tinubu as “Pablo.”
The user had described Bashir’s father as a “Fulani irredentist” who oversaw “industrial-scale ethnic cleansing” in Southern Kaduna during his eight-year tenure as governor.
Reacting to this criticism, Bashir fired back: “It is your stupid mother that is an elephant. And Southern Kaduna residents will keep seeing sheghe (trouble or suffering) if they continue to attack indigenous Fulani herdsmen. Oloshi.”
The use of the term sheghe (shege)—a Hausa slang word implying suffering or severe consequences—has drawn condemnation, with many accusing Bashir of justifying violence against Southern Kaduna communities, who have long been victims of deadly attacks by suspected herdsmen.
Recall that Bashir recently fuelled speculations about political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections when he suggested that Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, might join the Social Democratic Party (SDP) following his father’s defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Responding to an X user who claimed the SDP would struggle to defeat the APC in 2027 unless Obi joined, Bashir cryptically replied: “He is coming.”
His remark, though vague, has intensified discussions about a possible alliance between Obi and the SDP, especially in light of his father’s recent exit from the APC.
Nasir El-Rufai, a key figure in the APC’s rise to power in 2015, recently resigned from the party, citing disillusionment with its leadership under President Tinubu.
In his resignation letter dated March 10, 2025, El-Rufai accused the APC of betraying its founding progressive ideals and dismissed the current leadership as directionless.
“Developments in the last two years confirm that there is no desire on the part of those who currently control and run the APC to acknowledge, much less address, the unhealthy situation of the party,” he stated.
El-Rufai’s defection is believed to be part of a larger exodus from the APC, with several key figures, including former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and ex-Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, rumoured to be considering a move to the SDP.
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