Former Governor Nasir El-Rufai is bent on causing nationwide unrest and bringing down President Bola Tinubu’s government out of frustration and disillusionment, the presidency says.

Mr Tinubu’s special adviser, Temitope Ajayi, also claimed that the former Kaduna governor was attempting to divert public attention from his corruption case with a recent allegation that National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu imported thallium sulphate into the country.

ONSA denied the allegation.

“The truth is: Mallam El-Rufai has two clear intentions behind his recent actions and tantrums. One, to create political tension in the country, create an atmosphere of fear and unrest, and then damage the government through deliberate misinformation.

“Two, to divert attention from his domestic problems in Kaduna state, where he is facing massive corruption allegations. To draw attention to himself and project himself as a victim of persecution, he wants to nationalise his personal problems with his home state government, knowing that Nigerians will not be on his side over corruption charges,” the presidential adviser explained on Sunday.

Mr Ajayi urged the ex-governor to, “instead of behaving like a drowning man holding on to a straw to stay afloat, Mallam El-Rufai should brace up to face his corruption allegations and make peace with himself and his own people”.

Highlighting the problems of Mr El-Rufai, the presidential adviser said, “He lost the support of the state’s critical stakeholders. He lost the governor, who had once been his political soulmate, a man he had supported to become a senator of the federal republic and, later, the governor after him, even if half-heartedly.

“El-Rufai lost the entire 28 members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, who unanimously endorsed a petition to both the ICPC and the EFCC to probe him over N432 billion corruption allegations, for which both agencies have invited him.”