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The camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who has now spent 200 days in custody as of Friday, September 4.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, said the former governor was not seeking immunity from investigation but was entitled to justice, due process and equal treatment under the law.
Ibe described El-Rufai as a political prisoner held because he chose a different political path, as permitted by the constitution.
He contrasted the situation with that of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, who faces ongoing Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecution yet remains politically active and has secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for Kogi Central.
“Nobody should be above the law. But neither should the law become a political weapon,” Ibe stated.
He claimed that police, the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other state institutions, including elements of the judiciary, had become instruments of pressure against opposition figures ahead of the 2027 elections.
Ibe urged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to campaign on its record of economic challenges, including hunger, inflation, high fuel and electricity prices and the high cost of living, rather than what he called the use of state power against opponents.
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He argued that a confident government should not fear a strong opposition and that the opposition should be defeated by voters, not detained, intimidated or subjected to endless litigation.
“Democracy is not simply about holding elections. It is about ensuring that those elections are genuinely free and competitive,” Ibe observed.
“Today, it is El-Rufai. Tomorrow, it could be anyone. If state power is used to clear the political field before Nigerians get to vote, then the greatest casualty will not be the opposition. It will be Nigerian democracy. 2027 must be decided by THE PEOPLE—not by the machinery of government.”
El-Rufai has been in detention since mid-February 2026 voluntarily reported to the EFCC on February 16 over allegations linked to a Kaduna State House of Assembly report on financial mismanagement during his tenure.
He was later transferred to ICPC custody.
He also faces separate charges from the Department of State Services related to alleged unlawful interception of communications involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
El-Rufai has denied the allegations.
