El-Rufai Has Spent 200 Days In Custody, Atiku Camp Cries Out

The camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who has now spent 200 days in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Naija News reports that Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, in a statement on Friday, said El-Rufai was not asking to be protected from investigation but deserved due process and equal treatment under the law.

Ibe described the former governor as a political prisoner, alleging that his detention was connected to his decision to pursue a political path different from that of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Two hundred days! That’s how long Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has spent in detention as at today, 04 September 2026.

“By the way, he is not asking for immunity from investigation. He is entitled to justice, due process and equal treatment under the law,” he said.

Ibe questioned what he described as different treatment of opposition politicians and members of the ruling APC.

He pointed to former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, who is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but remains politically active and has secured the APC senatorial ticket.

According to him, nobody should be above the law, but the law should also be applied fairly.

“But Nigerians have every right to ask: why does the law appear so aggressive against opposition politicians and so accommodating to politicians in the ruling APC?” he asked.

Ibe alleged that security and anti-corruption agencies, including the police, EFCC and ICPC, were being used to put pressure on opposition figures ahead of the 2027 elections.

He also accused some elements within the judiciary of playing a role in what he described as the clampdown.

The Atiku camp challenged the APC to campaign on its record if it was confident Nigerians were satisfied with the current administration.

“If the APC believes Nigerians love its record of hunger, inflation, high fuel and electricity prices, high cost of living and crushing poverty, let it campaign on that record,” Ibe said.

He also challenged President Bola Tinubu to seek another term based on his performance and allow Nigerians to decide at the polls.

“If Tinubu believes he deserves another mandate, let him earn it at the ballot box and not with a gun to the heads of the opposition leaders and the citizens they seek to govern,” he said.

Ibe maintained that political opponents should be defeated through votes and not through arrests, intimidation or prolonged court battles.

“The opposition should be defeated by voters, not detained, intimidated or buried under endless litigation,” he added.

The former Vice President’s aide said a government that was confident of its popularity should not be afraid of a strong opposition.

He warned that democracy goes beyond conducting elections, stressing the need for free and competitive polls.

“A government that is confident in its popularity should not fear a strong opposition. Democracy is not simply about holding elections.

“It is about ensuring that those elections are genuinely free and competitive,” he said.

Ibe warned that the continued detention of opposition figures could have wider consequences for Nigeria’s democracy.

“Today, it is El-Rufai. Tomorrow, it could be anyone. If state power is used to clear the political field before Nigerians get to vote, then the greatest casualty will not be the opposition. It will be Nigerian democracy,” he said.