Nigeria, March 17 -- Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, the stern-looking former governor of Kaduna State, is angry. His natural anger has been accentuated by a bad situation. His deal with President Bola Tinubu has gone soar. So also has Tinubu's compact with the north gone awry. El-Rufai was there when the deal was struck. He has also been a witness to how the compact turned out to be a bare-faced deception. In his anger, El-Rufai is prancing about like a bird of prey. Like all predators, he has an object of pursuit. He will not let Tinubu, the smart Alec, get away with his trickery. El-Rufai appears set for a showdown.

What is the root of the distemper? The bone of contention revolves around two sister institutions headed by President Tinubu. His...