In a significant political intervention ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has called on the Federal Government to immediately release the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, from custody.
In a strongly worded statement released on Friday, Atiku described the continued detention of the former governor as “unjust, unnecessary, and a violation of the rule of law.” The intervention comes amid growing tension surrounding the whereabouts and legal status of El-Rufai, who has reportedly been held for questioning by security agencies for several days without formal charges.
A Call for Festive Compassion and Legal Sanity
Atiku Abubakar, speaking through his media office in Abuja, noted that the timing of the detention—coming just days before the holy festival of Eid—adds a layer of “unnecessary hardship” to the former governor’s family and followers.
“The detention of Nasir El-Rufai without a clear, transparent judicial process is an affront to the democratic values we claim to uphold,” Atiku stated. “If there are allegations against him, the constitutional path is clear: charge him to a court of competent jurisdiction. To hold a citizen indefinitely, especially a former public servant of his standing, is a throwback to an era we should have outgrown.”
The former Vice President emphasized that while he and El-Rufai have often stood on opposite sides of the political aisle, the principle of justice must remain blind to party affiliations. “This is not about politics; it is about the sanctity of the Nigerian constitution. No man should be deprived of his liberty under the guise of ‘investigations’ that have no visible end date.”
The Shadow of the ‘Security Probe’
While the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have remained tight-lipped about the specific reasons for El-Rufai’s detention, sources within the security architecture suggest the probe is two-pronged. It allegedly involves a review of security expenditures during his eight-year tenure in Kaduna and “incendiary statements” allegedly made during private political gatherings.
However, the “Waziri of Adamawa” argued that the secretive nature of the probe undermines the credibility of the anti-graft and security agencies. “By keeping him in a black hole, the government creates a martyr. If there is evidence of wrongdoing, let it be tested in the light of a courtroom, not in the shadows of an interrogation cell,” the statement added.
Eid Appeal
Atiku concluded his message by appealing to the “conscience” of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the relevant agencies to release El-Rufai. He argued that allowing the former governor to spend the Eid holidays with his family would be a gesture of democratic maturity and a step toward lowering the political temperature in the country.
