Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged federal authorities under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately release Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the embattled former governor of Kaduna State.
Atiku’s spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, in a statement, described El-Rufai’s continued detention, especially at a time when Muslims across Nigeria are preparing for the sacred Eid al-Kabir celebrations, as cruel, unjustifiable and deeply troubling.
He called the development a disturbing assault on civil liberties, democratic decency and the rule of law and expressed grave concern at the use of state power to intimidate perceived political opponents.
He said El-Rufai’s ordeal in the history of Tinubu’s government is deeply troubling, politically provocative and totally inconsistent with the tenets of justice, democracy and basic human decency.
“As millions of Muslims across Nigeria and the world prepare to celebrate Eid Kabir, a sacred season of sacrifice, compassion, forgiveness and family reunion, it would be unconscionable for any government to weaponise state power in a manner that denies a citizen his liberty without just cause, especially in circumstances that raise legitimate concerns about political persecution.
“Mallam El-Rufai, despite any political differences or changing alliances, is a Nigerian citizen and is entitled to all the protections of the Constitution, including his rights to dignity, liberty and due process.”
“The Federal Government and the Kaduna State authorities must learn to accept that selective justice is injustice. “The measure of any democracy is not how it treats its friends, but how it treats its enemies,” he said.
Recall that El-Rufai was in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
He sought bail at arraignment but the ICPC opposed his application in court.
