Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to release former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai if his continued detention is not connected to the 2027 presidential election.
Shaibu made the statement during an interview on Arise Television’s News Insight, where he described El-Rufai as a political prisoner of conscience and questioned why the former governor should remain in custody if the government does not consider him an electoral threat.
If you guys truly believe El-Rufai poses no threat to Tinubu’s electoral quest, then release him, Shaibu said.
He added that El-Rufai should be allowed to test his political strength openly and that Nigerian voters should ultimately decide at the ballot box who earns their mandate.
El-Rufai has been in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission since February 2026 amid investigations and separate legal proceedings. The ICPC confirmed his detention on February 18, saying he was being held in connection with ongoing investigations.
The former Kaduna governor is facing allegations arising from his tenure in Kaduna between 2015 and 2023. The Department of State Services has also brought a separate case involving allegations concerning the interception of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu’s telephone communications.
Shaibu also criticised the conditions attached to El-Rufai’s release, describing them as excessively stringent.
El-Rufai is a political prisoner of conscience. The courts granted him bail, weeks rolling into months, and they gave impossible conditions to his release,” he said.
He argued that El-Rufai should be presumed innocent until he has been tried and said the former governor deserved his freedom.
ICPC Rejects Political-Motive Claim
The ICPC has rejected claims that El-Rufai’s detention is politically motivated. According to the commission, he remained in custody because he had not fulfilled the court-approved bail conditions.
The controversy comes as El-Rufai has become part of the opposition political structure ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The report states that Atiku Abubakar appointed him deputy chairman of his 2027 Presidential Campaign Council under the ADC campaign structure.
El-Rufai Speaks on Prolonged Legal Ordeal
El-Rufai also recently addressed his prolonged legal difficulties in a statement titled “My Relationships and the Aftermath,” dated September 23.
In the statement, he said his experience had given him an opportunity to reassess relationships with former colleagues, friends and associates. He said he had supported people and causes over the years based on his faith, upbringing, personal values and conscience rather than expectations of gratitude or reciprocity.
El-Rufai said adversity had helped illuminate relationships but maintained that he had no regrets about standing by people or causes he believed in.
He also said he would not seek revenge or retribution over what he regarded as injustice or injury, leaving ultimate accountability to Almighty Allah.
In the end, each of us must live with the choices we make, and posterity will render whatever verdict it sees fit, El-Rufai said.El-Rufai: Atiku’s Aide Challenges Tinubu to Release Former Kaduna Governor
Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to release former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai if his continued detention is not connected to the 2027 presidential election.
Shaibu made the statement during an interview on Arise Television’s News Insight, where he described El-Rufai as a “political prisoner of conscience” and questioned why the former governor should remain in custody if the government does not consider him an electoral threat.
f you guys truly believe El-Rufai poses no threat to Tinubu’s electoral quest, then release him, Shaibu said.
He added that El-Rufai should be allowed to test his political strength openly and that Nigerian voters should ultimately decide at the ballot box who earns their mandate.
El-Rufai has been in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission since February 2026 amid investigations and separate legal proceedings. The ICPC confirmed his detention on February 18, saying he was being held in connection with ongoing investigations.
The former Kaduna governor is facing allegations arising from his tenure in Kaduna between 2015 and 2023. The Department of State Services has also brought a separate case involving allegations concerning the interception of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu’s telephone communications.
Shaibu also criticised the conditions attached to El-Rufai’s release, describing them as excessively stringent.
El-Rufai is a political prisoner of conscience. The courts granted him bail, weeks rolling into months, and they gave impossible conditions to his release,” he said.
He argued that El-Rufai should be presumed innocent until he has been tried and said the former governor deserved his freedom.
ICPC Rejects Political-Motive Claim
The ICPC has rejected claims that El-Rufai’s detention is politically motivated. According to the commission, he remained in custody because he had not fulfilled the court-approved bail conditions.
The controversy comes as El-Rufai has become part of the opposition political structure ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The report states that Atiku Abubakar appointed him deputy chairman of his 2027 Presidential Campaign Council under the ADC campaign structure.
Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to release former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai if his continued detention is not connected to the 2027 presidential election.
Shaibu made the statemen during an interview on Arise Television’s News Insight, where he described El-Rufai as a “political prisoner of conscience” and questioned why the former governor should remain in custody if the government does not consider him an electoral threat.
If you guys truly believe El-Rufai poses no threat to Tinubu’s electoral quest, then release him, Shaibu said.
He added that El-Rufai should be allowed to test his political strength openly and that Nigerian voters should ultimately decide at the ballot box who earns their mandate.
El-Rufai has been in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission since February 2026 amid investigations and separate legal proceedings. The ICPC confirmed his detention on February 18, saying he was being held in connection with ongoing investigations.
The former Kaduna governor is facing allegations arising from his tenure in Kaduna between 2015 and 2023. The Department of State Services has also brought a separate case involving allegations concerning the interception of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu’s telephone communications.
Shaibu also criticised the conditions attached to El-Rufai’s release, describing them as excessively stringent.
“El-Rufai is a political prisoner of conscience. The courts granted him bail, weeks rolling into months, and they gave impossible conditions to his release,” he said.
He argued that El-Rufai should be presumed innocent until he has been tried and said the former governor deserved his freedom.
ICPC Rejects Political-Motive Claim
The ICPC has rejected claims that El-Rufai’s detention is politically motivated. According to the commission, he remained in custody because he had not fulfilled the court-approved bail conditions.
The controversy comes as El-Rufai has become part of the opposition political structure ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The report states that Atiku Abubakar appointed him deputy chairman of his 2027 Presidential Campaign Council under the ADC campaign structure.
El-Rufai Speaks on Prolonged Legal Ordeal
El-Rufai also recently addressed his prolonged legal difficulties in a statement titled “My Relationships and the Aftermath,” dated September 23.
In the statement, he said his experience had given him an opportunity to reassess relationships with former colleagues, friends and associates. He said he had supported people and causes over the years based on his faith, upbringing, personal values and conscience rather than expectations of gratitude or reciprocity.
El-Rufai said adversity had helped illuminate relationships but maintained that he had no regrets about standing by people or causes he believed in.
He also said he would not seek revenge or retribution over what he regarded as injustice or injury, leaving ultimate accountability to Almighty Allah.
In the end, each of us must live with the choices we make, and posterity will render whatever verdict it sees fit, El-Rufai said.
El-Rufai Speaks on Prolonged Legal Ordeal
El-Rufai also recently addressed his prolonged legal difficulties in a statement titled My Relationships and the Aftermath, dated September 23.
In the statement, he said his experience had given him an opportunity to reassess relationships with former colleagues, friends and associates. He said he had supported people and causes over the years based on his faith, upbringing, personal values and conscience rather than expectations of gratitude or reciprocity.
El-Rufai said adversity had helped illuminate relationships but maintained that he had no regrets about standing by people or causes he believed in.
He also said he would not seek revenge or retribution over what he regarded as injustice or injury, leaving ultimate accountability to Almighty Allah.
In the end, each of us must live with the choices we make, and posterity will render whatever verdict it sees fit, El-Rufai said.
