Politics, Trending

Political Heavyweights Unite in Abuja for Hajiya Umma El-Rufai’s Final Farewell

Published by Samuel Ayomide on March 30th, 2026.

Prominent political figures across party lines and business elites gathered in Abuja on Sunday to mourn Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, the late mother of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. The funeral rites, which spanned from the El-Rufai residence to the Central Mosque and finally to Gudu Cemetery, drew leaders from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), opposition parties, and influential traditional institutions.

Among those present were Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna, National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto). APC governors including Babagana Zulum of Borno and Mohammed Bago of Niger were also in attendance, along with ex-APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, former Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Dambazau, and billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote. The gathering also included the 16th Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, and former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari.

The interment ceremony at Gudu Cemetery saw moments of reconciliation, most notably when former Minister of Communications Isa Pantami brought together El-Rufai and Governor Sani, who had been politically estranged. Pantami implored, “Let us focus on the things that unite us because they are more than the things that divide us. This life and everything it contains will end, and the grave is our end. No matter how you strive, you won’t get anything until Allah grants it to you.”

Atiku Abubakar had shared his condolences via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, stating: “Today, I joined family, friends, and associates of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai at the Janazah of the matriarch of the family, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai. May Allah grant her Aljannah Firdaus and comfort the family in their grief.”

President Bola Tinubu, through his spokesman Bayo Onanuga, also commiserated with El-Rufai, urging him to draw strength from faith amid his loss. “Nasir, please accept my heartfelt condolences on the passing of your beloved mother, Hajiya Umma,” Onanuga wrote, emphasizing the personal nature of the loss.

Governor Sani, on behalf of Kaduna State, described Hajiya Umma as “a devoted mother and matriarch, a woman of rare grace, moral clarity, and quiet strength,” while APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda encouraged the family to maintain their faith. “Mama lived a fulfilled life and, by the grace of God, leaves behind a legacy through her children, family, and all those whose lives she touched,” Yilwatda said in a statement shared on social media.

Former Ekiti State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi, also expressed his condolences, praising the late matriarch’s life of humility, faith, and service. “Her departure is a painful loss, but we take solace in the exemplary life she lived and the legacy she leaves behind,” Fayemi noted in a press release.

The burial took place amid heightened public attention, as El-Rufai’s son, Nasir, had recently been released temporarily from ICPC custody to witness the funeral rites. He was previously arraigned in a 10-count corruption and money laundering case, with the next court hearing scheduled for March 31, 2026.

Despite the personal and political turbulence surrounding the El-Rufai family, the funeral served as a rare moment of unity among Nigeria’s political elite, reflecting respect for the late Hajiya Umma and a reminder of shared humanity beyond party divisions, as reported by The PUNCH and corroborated by eyewitness social media accounts