Atiku urges Tinubu and Uba Sani to release El‑Rufai before Sallah.

By Omeiza Ajayi

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged President Bola Tinubu and Kaduna State Governor Senator Uba Sani to release former governor Nasir El‑Rufai without delay.

He criticised the ongoing detention, describing it as “cruel, unjustifiable, and deeply troubling,” and said it represents a serious attack on civil liberties, democratic decency, and the rule of law, particularly as Muslims nationwide prepare for Eid al‑Kabir.

Phrank Shaibu, Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, issued a statement on Friday noting that the former vice president expressed grave concerns about the use of state power to intimidate alleged political opponents.

He called the continued detention “deeply troubling, politically provocative, and wholly inconsistent with the principles of justice, democracy, and basic human decency.”

“At a time when millions of Muslims across Nigeria and around the world are preparing 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, particularly in circumstances that raise legitimate concerns about political persecution. “Mallam El‑Rufai, regardless of political differences or shifting alliances, remains a Nigerian citizen entitled to the full protection of the Constitution, including his rights to dignity, liberty, and due process. “Democracy does not grant the government the licence to punish dissent, settle political scores, or deploy coercive institutions as instruments of intimidation. “The Federal Government and the Kaduna State authorities must understand that selective justice is injustice. The credibility of any democracy is measured not by how it treats loyalists, but by how it treats perceived opponents. If Mallam El‑Rufai is being held on the basis of any legitimate legal process, the authorities owe Nigerians full transparency. If not, then his continued detention can only reinforce growing