“Sore Loser!” – Audu Maikori blasts El-Rufai over abduction remarks

By Tolulope Oke

Chocolate City founder Audu Maikori has fired a blistering response to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, accusing him of hypocrisy over his recent remarks on unlawful detentions in Nigeria.

El-Rufai had tweeted that the growing culture of illegal detention “undermines democracy and erodes public trust in government.” But Maikori countered sharply, recalling his own experience under the former governor.

“Imagine @elrufai of all people speaking about abductions when both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal ruled that your abduction of me in February and March of 2017 was illegal,” Maikori wrote. “What was my crime speaking out about your failure to safeguard the lives of your citizens in Kaduna and your clear bias against Southern Kaduna people? This statement is sour grapes.”

Maikori also took aim at El-Rufai’s political ambitions:

“If you had gotten the ministerial position you lobbied desperately for, you would be singing praises of this same government. You are a sore loser, oga.”

The exchange revisits the controversial 2017 arrest of Maikori, which was later deemed unlawful by the courts. Analysts say his response frames El-Rufai’s criticism of unlawful detention as politically motivated and highlights ongoing debates about governance, civil liberties, and regional bias in Kaduna State.