Hadiza El-Rufai, the former First Lady of Kaduna State, and Senator Shehu Sani engaged in a public argument over grammar on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The interaction quickly grabbed attention, causing a wave of reactions from the public.
The disagreement began when Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th Assembly, made a humorous comment about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s frequent international travels. In his post, Sani joked that these travels affect the country’s economy, particularly taxes and commodity prices.
He wrote, “New law of economics; When the President travels out, Taxes and Prices goes up.”
Hadiza El-Rufai, known for her frequent grammar corrections on social media, spotted an error in Sani’s post and decided to correct him. She pointed out that the correct phrase should be “go up” rather than “goes up.”
In response, Senator Sani addressed her as “mummy” and asked her to leave him alone. He seemed amused by her persistence in following his posts, despite the fact that they had both unfollowed each other on the platform.
He replied, “I unfollowed you and you unfollowed me. And you still de hang around me. Mummy, leave me alone abeg.”
This exchange quickly sparked numerous reactions from users on the platform. Many people shared their thoughts on the public clash between the former senator and the ex-First Lady. Some users supported El-Rufai’s correction, while others questioned her focus on grammar, especially given her past position.
A user, @Balatic, commented, “If you converted this grammatical energy into moral energy and channeled it on your husband, Southern Kaduna population for no reduce significantly during his 8 horrible years in charge.”
Another user, @AustinINstate, sided with Sani, saying, “Madam, Uncle senator was right, do your research no sentiments please, my little understanding: The correct phrase is ‘price goes up.’ Since ‘price’ is a singular noun, it requires the singular verb ‘goes.’”
Similarly, @Wasser_02 remarked on El-Rufai’s history, saying, “For 8 years as governor’s wife and chief grammar corrector, Kaduna state didn’t improve or come first in any external English examination. So ma, this Twitter correction is a waste.”
The debate continued with some users, like @davidoj_10, criticizing both Sani and El-Rufai, stating that their efforts would be better spent advising the government on meaningful changes rather than debating grammar online.
