Hadiza El-Rufai, wife of Nasir El-Rufai, has refuted an online claim that she had died. In a post on her verified X (formerly Twitter) page on Monday afternoon, March 23, Hadiza prayed to God for a long life.
The rumour stemmed from a recent Facebook post by Kiche TV Africa, which claimed that Mallam El-Rufai was mourning the death of Safiya Ali Rufai.
The blog included a picture of Hadiza with the former Kaduna governor, alleging that Safiya passed away on Friday, March 20, 2026.
Reacting, Hadiza, the mother of Bello El-Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives, said via X: “It’s not me o… Me? I’ll never die. God will make an exception in my case.”
Hadiza is a Nigerian writer and wife to the former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam El-Rufai. She was the founder of Yasmin El-Rufai Foundation (YELF), a non-profit literary organisation.
She married Nasir El-Rufai in 1985, whom she had met in 1976 at the School of Basic Studies, Ahmadu Bello University.
He later became Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Governor of Kaduna State. The couple has several children.
Meanwhile, death claimed the life of former Governor El-Rufai’s sister-in-law, Safiya Ali Rufai, on Eid al-Fitr day 2026. Late Safiya was the wife of ex-Governor El-Rufai ‘s brother, Air Vice Marshall Ali Rufai, who died some years ago.
According to sources, Mallam El-Rufai is said to be mourning the death of his sister-in-law, Safiya Ali Rufai, who passed away after a brief illness, Guardian noted.
She died on Friday, March 20, 2026, on the day of the Eid celebration.
Her death was announced by Bello El-Rufai. Family members described the late Safiya as a disciplined and devoted woman who played an important role in raising many within the family.
