By Muhammad Mamman
In a scorching social media post on Thursday, Bashir El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, took a wild swing at President Bola Tinubu, branding him ‘Pablo’—a cheeky nod to infamous Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. Not stopping there, Bashir mocked First Lady Remi Tinubu and threw his weight behind Peter Obi as the man to topple Tinubu in the 2027 election.
With a flair for drama, Bashir predicted Obi, paired with a strong northern running mate, would crush ‘Pablo’ at the polls before Remi Tinubu could even whip up the president’s breakfast by noon. “Obi’s got the numbers and a cult-like following that’s a proper game-changer,” he boasted, pointing to the Labour Party leader’s magnetic pull among young voters.
While giving a nod to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as a “force to be reckoned with,” Bashir insisted Obi’s youth appeal is the secret weapon for the opposition’s victory.
The Tinubu camp stayed mum, with spokesperson Bayo Onanuga dodging calls for comment from Peoples Gazette.
This isn’t Bashir’s first rodeo. He’s previously jabbed at Tinubu’s murky U.S. narcotics case, warning that arresting his father would be the president’s “biggest blunder.” Meanwhile, Nasir El-Rufai has been on a warpath since his ministerial nomination was scuppered by the Senate. The ex-governor, once a Tinubu ally despite the president’s Chicago cocaine and certificate scandals, now calls his government an “evil” set to ruin Nigeria. In June, he vowed to join forces to boot Tinubu out in 2027, even thanking his lucky stars for dodging a spot in the “pain-inflicting” administration.
