Bashir El-Rufai, son of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, says, ‘Pablo Escobar’, a reference to President Bola Tinubu over his narcotics dealing case in the U.S., will be making his biggest mistake if the Nigerian government arrests his father.

On Tuesday, Mr El-Rufai, who fell out with Mr Tinubu since he was nominated for ministerial appointment but was blocked by the Senate, alleged that National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu was plotting to arrest him.

“I have been hearing these same rumours of arrest, detention and torture in some dungeon in the NSA’s office (where Emefiele was allegedly tortured to resign as CBN governor) since July 2024 when the so-called report of the Kaduna Assembly began circulating,” Mr El-Rufai said on X.

“Na the biggest mistake Pablo Escobar & his henchmen will make,” the former governor’s son responded shortly after his father’s claim.

Though Mr El-Rufai’s son did not mention the president’s name in his X post, several X users interpreted it as a subtle jab at Mr Tinubu, who once forfeited $460,000  to the U.S. government in a cocaine-related racket in the 1990s.

Pablo Escobar, a notorious Colombian drug lord, became a common mention in the Nigerian political sphere since Mr Tinubu emerged as president in 2023 despite his link to a cocaine pushing scandal.

An X user, @Amaogudu, tweeted: For context: Pablo Escobar is one of history’s most prolific drug traffickers. His drug empire popularized Colombia as a drug trafficking hub.

“It is reported that President Bola Tinubu was indicted by US DEA in a drug smuggling case which made him (Tinubu) forfeit more than 400,000 USD (about 500 million naira) to the United States government.”

Some shared screenshots and videos of Mr El-Rufai and his son campaigning and canvassing support for Mr Tinubu in 2023.

“See Bashir’s father and ‘Pablo Escobar’ when the going was good. Is like the proper fight is about to commence,” @David_shuaibu tweeted, posting a photo of Mr Tinubu and Mr El-Rufai in a car.

An X user, @kecemenikex, said, “So you know Pablo Escobar is a drug dealing imbecile, yet you supported him,” while @ubongutioh said, “So, your father knew and was deliberately snorting from Pablo Escobar? What a stain on your family’s integrity if there was even one before.”

Another X user, @TrulyDearest, said, “You and your daddy knew all along that he is ‘Pablo Escobar’? But your daddy went to Chatham House in London to protect him from exposing his emptiness to the World.

“Your father answered questions on how he will solve insecurity issues for him, and now they used and threw him away. You and him are wailing.”

“Now, he is ‘Pablo Escobar’ because your dad is out of his good graces,” another X user, @I_am_Ibadan, said.