Atiku Criticizes El‑Rufai’s Ongoing Detention, Warns Against Indirect Bail Denial

• Blasts Tinubu over Onanuga’s comment that no hunger in Nigeria

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar expressed concern about the ongoing detention of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El‑Rufai, arguing that the bail conditions imposed on him are excessively strict and may conflict with constitutional protections.

Through a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said that bail should safeguard the presumption of innocence rather than serve as an indirect form of imprisonment.

He added that bail conditions must be reasonable and attainable, warning that requirements that are difficult or impossible to meet effectively amount to a denial of bail.

According to him, the court’s insistence on conditions such as requiring a serving Grade Level 17 federal civil servant with verifiable property in high‑value districts of Abuja, along with other stringent demands, raises doubts about whether the purpose is to grant bail or to make release unattainable.

Atiku stressed that the issue extends beyond El‑Rufai’s personal circumstances, highlighting broader questions about the protection of civil liberties and the rule of law in a democratic society.

He said, “The law is settled that an accused person remains innocent until proven guilty. Bail exists to preserve that constitutional protection. It was never designed to become a sophisticated instrument for punishment before conviction.”

In another statement by Shaibu, Atiku criticized the presidency’s latest attempt to blame the media for worsening insecurity and economic hardship, describing it as a dangerous exercise in denial by an administration increasingly detached from the realities confronting ordinary Nigerians.

He said it was both astonishing and insulting that, at a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling to survive, the Tinubu administration chose to attack the messenger rather than confront the message.

He stated, “The latest comments from the Presidency reveal a disturbing disconnect between those who govern and the people they govern. Nigerians are enduring one of the most difficult periods in our recent history.”

“Yet, instead of acknowledging their pain and outlining practical solutions, the government is attempting to persuade citizens that what they see, hear, and experience every day is somehow an illusion created by the media.”

Atiku said Nigerians do not need journalists to tell them whether they are hungry.

He stated, “The father who goes to bed wondering how to provide the next meal for his family does not need a newspaper report to confirm hardship.”

“The mother who now pays three or four times more for basic food items than she did two years ago does not require a television broadcast to understand inflation.”

“The small business owner whose capital has been wiped out, the graduate trapped in unemployment, and the pensioner whose savings have become worthless do not need media interpretation to understand their circumstances.”