Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has spent 200 days in detention, prompting the camp of ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to demand justice and accuse authorities of applying pressure against opposition figures ahead of the 2027 elections. Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, raised the concerns in a statement on Friday, saying El-Rufai should be […]
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has spent 200 days in detention, prompting the camp of ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to demand justice and accuse authorities of applying pressure against opposition figures ahead of the 2027 elections.
Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, raised the concerns in a statement on Friday, saying El-Rufai should be accorded due process and equal treatment under Nigerian law.
The statement said the former governor was not asking to be shielded from investigation but questioned why he had remained in detention for such an extended period. Ibe went further to describe El-Rufai as a political prisoner, alleging that his detention was linked to his decision to pursue a different political direction.
Atiku’s camp also drew comparisons with former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, who is currently facing prosecution by the EFCC but has remained politically active and recently secured the APC’s senatorial ticket.
According to Ibe, the comparison raises questions about whether state institutions are being applied equally to politicians across the political divide. He alleged that agencies including the police, EFCC and ICPC were becoming instruments of pressure against opposition figures as the 2027 election approaches.
The statement also criticised what it described as the involvement of elements within the judiciary in actions against opposition politicians. Ibe argued that the ruling APC should rely on its electoral record to convince Nigerians rather than weaken political opponents through state institutions.
He specifically pointed to issues such as hunger, inflation, rising fuel and electricity prices, the increasing cost of living and poverty, arguing that these should be part of the issues on which the ruling party seeks a fresh mandate.
Ibe said President Bola Tinubu should be prepared to face Nigerians at the ballot box if he believes his administration deserves another term. He argued that opposition parties should be defeated through votes rather than detention, intimidation or what he called endless litigation.
The Atiku camp maintained that democracy requires more than simply conducting elections, insisting that political contests must be free and competitive. It warned that the alleged use of state power to restrict opposition activity could ultimately harm the democratic process.
Ibe concluded that although El-Rufai is the immediate subject of the controversy, the wider implications could affect anyone if state institutions are used to eliminate political competition before Nigerians have the opportunity to vote.