Bashir El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, has given public details about the end of his first marriage to Halima Kazaure.
He was married in October 2020 in Abuja to Halima Kazaure, daughter of former Minister of Labour and Productivity Ibrahim Kazaure. The ceremony drew several high-profile guests, including former Senate President Ahmad Lawan, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, and former Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II.
On Friday, Bashir confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that the marriage had ended, responding to questions from followers after earlier posts about a woman he publicly admired during Eid al-Kabir drew attention.
In the same online exchange, he stated that he is no longer married and described himself as divorced. He also said the woman he had recently reposted on social media is now his fiancée.
Addressing the cause of the breakup, he wrote that the marriage had already ended and made remarks comparing cultural expectations in relationships, while adding personal commentary about his experience in the marriage.
Bashir also claimed that he did not initiate courtship in his relationships, saying in his posts that he was not the one who typically pursued marriage and that his first wife had initiated their relationship.
As of the time of filing this report, Halima Kazaure has not issued a public response to his comments. A review of her social media activity shows her most recent post was related to the Eid al-Kabir celebration.
