Four political episodes have occurred over the last few days, all related to the National Security Adviser (NSA), and he has come up short in every contest. As it stands, the character of the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, is currently in the public evaluation laboratory, and so is the effectiveness of his office.

First, the tension started with Hajiya Najatu Mohammed when the NSA’s lawyer demanded a public apology and retraction of a TikTok video she made. In the video, she reminded her followers that when Ribadu was the EFCC chairman, he labelled President Tinubu the “most corrupt politician.” The northern stalwart then made another video to provoke Ribadu and his lawyers. In it, she asserted that she would not retract her statement and dared them to go to court if they had any claims.

Since then, Ribadu and his lawyers have found a way to avoid further altercation with the ‘iron lady’. However, their silence allows for the re-interpretation of Ribadu’s character because during the Kano Emirate tussle, a similar demand was made of the Kano State deputy governor, who quickly issued a public apology to the NSA for alleging he had a hand in the matter.

The public now interprets the silence as resignation. Some may see it as a realisation that “Naja” is not as soft as those men he challenged earlier. But whatever people think, the advisers of the national security adviser had advised him wrongly. They have made him look indecisive and inconsistent.

The second public drama occurred last Thursday, when the NSA made an erratic diplomatic blunder by publicly saying Canada can “go to hell.” My elder once called this type of remark an unforced error. The comment was provoked by the Canadian embassy’s visa denial of the Chief of Defence Staff and some senior military officers.

Listening to Ribadu, he might have made the comment to whip up patriotism and public sentiment, but it went too far. As the news escalated, questions and new information began to emerge. Some questioned his jurisdiction and how he bypassed the ministers responsible for this issue, such as the Minister of Foreign Affairs or Internal Affairs.

Reports show that the Canadian embassy refused to give the military officers visas because protocols were not followed. The embassy expected the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue a “note verbale” as a supporting document for their application.

The NSA should know that countries do not issue official visas based on self-recognition. But if he does not know, his advisers would be expected to enlighten him about this position, given that he is jumping into issues outside his jurisdiction. Character-wise, Nigeria’s NSA should consider investigating diplomatic issues before plunging into a diplomatic outburst like he did.

The third episode happened in the early hours of Friday. But we can also say Nigerians woke up to America’s Thursday-night drama. A right-wing conspiracy theorist who is also a US lawmaker, Congressman Scott Perry, made a strong claim albeit without basis. He claimed that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) was funding terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram, ISIS and Al-Qaeda.

Perry’s statement has led to further accusations and counter-accusations regarding Nigeria’s security challenges. The old theory that many believed terror sponsors were local is now in doubt. More innuendos are developing, which creates a deeper rabbit hole for conspiracy theorists. Those who think two truths can exist simultaneously also see the possibility that multiple lies can be fabricated to suppress existing facts.

This is where the NSA’s job is put to the test. The NSA office should have responded quickly with statements to assure the public that they would investigate the claims. This would have increased confidence in his position and character.

The fourth episode happened on Friday, too. Binance’s head of financial crime, Tigran Gambaryan, who was detained for months in Nigeria, made a huge allegation about the NSA in a series of tweets.

He claimed that Ribadu hired a US law firm to negotiate his release from detention, but the move failed due to NSA’s “incompetence and greed”. He also claimed the NSA and three lawmakers demanded bribe from him. Gambaryan said, “Ribadu emphasised that he wanted billions in payouts to fund his future political ambition… I guess he really wanted his boss’s job.”

Neither Ribadu nor his lawyers responded to this allegation of incompetence and greed.

But social media promoters are currently arguing for the NSA, claiming that Ribadu once rejected a $15 million bribe from James Ibori. On the contrary, this version of the bribe rejection is more of a myth than reality. Obasanjo’s version of the event, which is also making rounds on social media, did not sound like Ibori had attempted a bribe.