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From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The El-Rufai Support Group Association (ERSGA) has announced the formal engagement of Vanguard Africa, a Washington DC-based international advocacy firm to lead a coordinated campaign over what it called the erosion of the rule of law and the abuse of due process in Nigeria.
The ERSGA, is an independent organisation of supporters and civic advocates dedicated to the political and leadership activities of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and the promotion of democratic governance and the rule of law in Nigeria.
In a statement by the ERSGA’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, Mohammed Salihu, said according to the regulatory filing published by the US Department of State, Vanguard Africa would “plan and execute outreach to United States Administration officials, Congress, relevant bureaus and agencies, pro-democracy institutions and multilateral stakeholders,” on behalf of ERSGA, among other activities in the United States.
“Nasir El-Rufai is an accomplished reformer and senior statesman with decades of public service. He served as Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (1999-2003), Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja (2003-2007) and Governor of Kaduna State (2015-2024). According to media reports, since mid-February, he has been detained by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), while courts have repeatedly delayed bail hearings.
“ERSGA categorically rejects the ICPC’s accusations and maintains El-Rufai’s innocence, pointing to a series of alarming procedural irregularities.
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“The treatment of El-Rufai is not an isolated incident; it is a symptom of a deeper crisis threatening Nigeria’s democratic institutions,” said Mohammed Salihu, on behalf of the El-Rufai Support Group Association. “We are bringing these concerns to Washington because the international community has both the standing and the responsibility to speak plainly when due process is weaponised for political ends,’” Salihu said.
He also said ERSGA and its international partners had framed the El-Rufai case as a defining test of whether Nigeria’s institutions are capable of operating with genuine impartiality.
“With national elections approaching in 2027, the association warns that the use of legal mechanisms to marginalise opposition figures strikes at the foundation of free and credible democratic competition.
“Vanguard Africa is a highly regarded organisation established in Washington DC, with a proven track record of advocating for pro-democracy figures across the region, such as President Adama Barrow of The Gambia, the duly elected president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum and Ugandan opposition leader, Bobi Wine, among others.
“ERSGA calls on the United States Government, international democratic institutions and civil society organisations worldwide, to closely monitor developments in Nigeria and to speak clearly in defence of due process, judicial independence and the democratic space that free and fair elections require,” the group added.
