Vice presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has urged the Federal Government to ensure the protection of Peter Obi and the fair trial of former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai.
Kwankwaso made the call after Obi recently raised alarm about his personal safety and El-Rufai’s wives expressed concern over their husband’s continued detention.
He decried the FG’s response to Obi’s concerns, saying the government resorted to personal insults and derogatory language instead of the restraint and maturity expected of a democratic administration.
“Let me state clearly: like every Nigerian, our presidential candidate and all of us deserve the full protection of the state, not ridicule for raising legitimate concerns,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The former Kano State governor noted that democratic leadership requires fairness, justice, and restraint, stressing that a government entrusted with protecting citizens should not dismiss or mock credible calls for help from any individual, including Peter Obi.
On El-Rufai’s detention, Kwankwaso lamented seeing his wives publicly expressing distress over his extended custody.
He argued that, regardless of political affiliation, El-Rufai, like every Nigerian, is entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a competent court.
He stressed that the continued delay in granting him bail through what he described as stringent and unreasonable conditions is deeply concerning.
Kwankwaso emphasised that, as an unconvicted citizen, El-Rufai deserves a fair and expeditious trial, while his health and that of his family are adequately safeguarded.
He urged the Federal Government to handle both matters with transparency, accountability, and justice.
“These issues must not be weaponised to settle political scores,” he said, adding that, “for Nigeria’s democracy to truly thrive, every citizen, young or old, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political persuasion, must receive equal and equitable treatment under the law from the government that exists to protect us all.”
