The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has called for transparency regarding the safety of Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, in detention.
ThelensNG reports that El-Rufai was detained over alleged financial improprieties during his tenure as governor, as well as allegations of cybercrime and national security breaches.
Muyiwa Adekeye, media aide to El-Rufai, alleged that the former governor suffered a nosebleed and was denied access to his family.
Reacting to the development on Tuesday, Atiku noted that El-Rufai’s health and welfare are matters of grave concern to his family, friends, and associates.
“The Federal Government owes Nigerians clarity. It must state clearly which agency is holding him, whether the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the State Security Service (SSS), or any other arm of the security establishment,” he stated.
The former Vice President asserted that secrecy in matters of detention only fuels suspicion, stressing that Nigerians deserve transparency. “Whichever agency is responsible has a constitutional duty to guarantee his safety, dignity, access to medical care, and access to his family and legal representatives.”
Atiku described the alleged nosebleed suffered by El-Rufai and the reported denial of access to his family members as deeply troubling and unacceptable in a democracy.
He argued that if the authorities cannot guarantee his health and fundamental rights, the lawful and humane course of action is to grant him bail without delay, warning that if anything happens to El-Rufai, the government will be held accountable.
“More troubling, however, is the growing perception of selective prosecution, in which opposition figures are aggressively pursued while others are conspicuously shielded from investigation or interrogation,” he decried. “Anti-corruption must not become a political weapon.”
Atiku emphasised that the continued detention of El-Rufai under unclear circumstances raises serious questions about motive, pointing out that anti-corruption efforts cannot be credible when they appear partisan, coercive, or strategically timed.
He further argued that justice must be transparent and accountability must be even-handed, adding that the rule of law must apply to all — without fear, without favour, and without political bias.
