‘A man of integrity’, How Najatu campaigned for Ribadu in 2011

“May God, the giver of power to whom he pleases, make Ribadu the president of Nigeria…” “We are picking Ribadu not because he is Hausa-Fulani, not because he is a Muslim, but because he is a man of integrity.” the leader of the Northern Star Youth Initiative, Naja’atu Muhammad, declared in a viral video, her […]

“May God, the giver of power to whom he pleases, make Ribadu the president of Nigeria…”

“We are picking Ribadu not because he is Hausa-Fulani, not because he is a Muslim, but because he is a man of integrity.” the leader of the Northern Star Youth Initiative, Naja’atu Muhammad, declared in a viral video, her voice ringing out loud to a gathering who erupted in a chorus of ‘Amen.’

Seated beside her, his hands clapping and face beaming in ecstasy, Nuhu Ribadu was perhaps moved by her heartfelt endorsement of his presidential bid in 2011 under the Action Congress.

Back then, Muhammad also faulted the People’s Democratic Party (PDP’s) government for its inability to address major concerns of Nigerians, saying it was time to stop grumbling and act.

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“Since 1999, more people have died in this country under the PDP than the civil war. They have died, they have been killed; they have been killed in senseless religious riots, in senseless road accidents, in senseless curable diseases. Wake up! Wake up!

“And the youths of this country, you constitute 80% of the population of this country, and you sit and you grumble! If you grumble, you are either a coward or you are a hypocrite. Go out and speak it out. It is our time. It is our turn.

“What they are telling us now is that Jonathan has good luck. What did he do? What did he do to be the Vice President? Nothing! Opportunism. What did he do to be deputy governor? Nothing! What did he do to become governor? His governor was impeached. Good luck for him, bad luck for Nigeria. Yes, it is bad luck for Nigeria because it is the only credential he has.

“…And for our so-called northern elders, they have ruled this country for 37 years or 50 years. They don’t have anything to show.”

This was how Naja’atu Muhammad campaigned for Nuhu Ribadu back in 2011 when he ran for the office of the president under the platform of the Action Congress.

Ribadu, a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was later to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), becoming a key figure in the party who wields and enjoys some level of influence.

Following the 2023 election, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Ribadu as National Security Adviser.

However, Ribadu’s past comments on some of the policies of politically exposed persons have generated reactions from Nigerians.

Recently, Muhammad, in a Tik Tok video, accused the NSA of serving in Tinubu’s government despite castigating him when was the Chairman of EFCC.

But reacting to the video, Ribadu had demanded public apology and retraction from Muhammad for lying against him.

In a letter through his lawyer, Dr Ahmed Raji, SAN, the NSA said he has never maintained such viewpoint publicly or privately.

He said the damage that had been done as a result of the Tiktok video was unquantifiable.

But Muhammad dismissed the ultimatum and dared the NSA to drag her to court.

She said she would not retract her statement because she was, according to her, only reiterating what the NSA said years ago.