In a shocking revelation that has ignited a firestorm of debate, Audu Maikori, the visionary behind Chocolate City Entertainment Group, has accused former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai of relentless persecution and even orchestrating his abduction—all over a deleted tweet from 2017. But here's where it gets controversial: Maikori claims this wasn't just a legal matter gone awry; it was a personal vendetta. In a recent interview on Arise Television's Prime Time, Maikori exercised his right to reply, painting a picture of a governor overstepping boundaries and weaponizing his power.
The saga began with a tweet about violence in Southern Kaduna, where Maikori shared unverified information about casualties during clashes. And this is the part most people miss: once he realized the details were false—supplied by his own driver—he took immediate action. 'As soon as I discovered the tweet was inaccurate, I went to the nearest police station in Lekki with my driver and filed a statement,' Maikori explained. His driver later admitted to fabricating the story for personal gain, and Maikori was released after an initial arrest by the DSS in February 2017, with authorities handling the matter professionally.
But the story doesn't end there. Maikori alleges that El-Rufai continued to target him, even after the police had cleared him. 'A governor shouldn’t be doing the job of the police,' Maikori pointed out, highlighting the former governor's attempts to link his tweet to the deaths of seven people. Here’s the bombshell: Maikori boldly claims El-Rufai went as far as organizing his abduction, framing it as outright persecution rather than a lawful process. 'This wasn’t about justice; it was personal,' he asserted.
This feud isn’t new—it dates back to the 2017 Southern Kaduna violence, where Maikori's posts drew fierce criticism from El-Rufai, who labeled them inflammatory. Maikori has since cited court rulings declaring his 2017 detention unlawful, adding another layer to this complex narrative. As of now, El-Rufai has remained silent on these latest allegations, leaving the public to grapple with questions of free speech, governance, and accountability in Nigeria’s political landscape.
But here’s the question that lingers: Was El-Rufai’s pursuit of Maikori a justified response to misinformation, or did it cross the line into personal retribution? And what does this say about the balance of power between public officials and citizens? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments—this is a conversation that demands your voice.
