by Mohammed Bello Doka
4 June, 2026.
There is a chilling political reality unfolding in Nigeria today, one that goes far beyond the fate of a single individual. The protracted detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, now reportedly exceeding 100 days across the facilities of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has ceased to be a mere legal proceeding. It has transformed, in the eyes of millions, into a politically motivated witch-hunt against a man who sacrificed his political capital to enthrone the very government now holding him in a legal limbo.
To understand the gravity of the situation, one must revisit the political chessboard of 2022. At a time when the northern political establishment allegedly sought to retain power, it was El-Rufai who openly led the charge of northern governors insisting that power must shift to the South. This act of political engineering was not without significant personal risk. Furthermore, when the clamor for a southern candidate intensified, it was El-Rufai who, alongside other influential figures, insisted on Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the candidate, heeding the requests of southwest leaders like Professor Akintola. His endorsement was not passive; at the Chatham House in London on December 5, 2022, Tinubu publicly assigned El-Rufai the responsibility of answering critical questions on national security, signaling to the world that the former governor was a trusted architect of the incoming administration.
El-Rufai’s loyalty was tested further during the contentious naira redesign policy. Despite the policy being implemented by the Muhammadu Buhari-led government, El-Rufai broke ranks, leading the charge to challenge the policy at the Supreme Court. He reportedly vowed that a Tinubu presidency would reverse the "anti-people" policy, a gamble that placed him at odds with the status quo but solidified his image as a defender of the masses. The bond was seemingly sealed on a stage in Kaduna, where President Tinubu, then the candidate, publicly pleaded with El-Rufai to jettison his plans for retirement. In a widely publicized moment, Tinubu declared he would not leave the stage until El-Rufai agreed to serve in his government. In deference, El-Rufai acquiesced, agreeing to work with the incoming administration even if only on a part-time basis.
However, the victory at the polls appears to have marked the beginning of a treacherous betrayal. Despite his massive contributions, El-Rufai’s ministerial nomination was infamously withheld by the Senate following the presentation of a security report by the Department of State Services (DSS). Critics have alleged that the ordeal was less about security clearance and more about a deliberate plot by President Tinubu to humiliate El-Rufai and render him politically irrelevant. The betrayal cuts deep because it is alleged that key figures in the presidency, including the Vice President and the National Security Adviser, reportedly felt threatened by El-Rufai’s competence and successfully lobbied to keep him out of the power sector reform he was poised to lead.
Today, that political lynching has
transitioned into a physical and legal nightmare. El-Rufai has been in detention for over 100 days. While the ICPC confirmed he has been in custody since February 19, 2026, over allegations of financial impropriety, the conditions of this detention have raised alarms reminiscent of a police state. His family has repeatedly raised the alarm that he is being denied access to his personal physicians. On May 15, 2026, his son, Mohammed Bello, alleged that operatives directly flouted a clear court order granting El-Rufai unrestricted access to his doctors. While the ICPC denies these claims, insisting on routine security protocols and noting that he was "fed multiple times," the recurring allegations of denial of medical access—coupled with reports that political allies like the African Democratic Congress (ADC) leaders have been barred from seeing him—paint a picture of isolation that is antithetical to the rule of law.
We must ask: where is the constitutional provision that guarantees the right to liberty and access to healthcare? Under Sections 35 and 41 of the Nigerian Constitution, El-Rufai retains the right to dignity and freedom, regardless of the accusations against him. By holding him in ICPC and EFCC facilities for over 100 days without a formal remand in prison, the state is operating in a legal grey zone that threatens to collapse into outright authoritarianism.
Should Mallam Nasir El-Rufai die in this detention—whether from political neglect, denial of medical care, or sheer despair—it will not merely be a tragedy. It will be the spark that ignites a fire across the country and beyond. His supporters view him as a son of the North who was betrayed by a Yoruba-centric government that has marginalized northern leaders despite enjoying their electoral support. The perception of a political vendetta executed through the instruments of the ICPC and EFCC is a dangerous cocktail. If the state silences him permanently, the resulting uprising could lead to a complete breakdown of law and order, pitting regions against each other in a manner unprecedented in our recent history.
We are not asking for special treatment for a former governor. We are demanding due process. If there is evidence, let him be tried in the full glare of the court. Let him be remanded in prison if necessary, but not "disappeared" into the black hole of an agency’s holding facility. The constitution must be obeyed. The court orders granting him access to doctors must be respected. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must intervene now—not to free a political foe, but to save the soul of a nation from the highest form of political betrayal. Let El-Rufai live to face his trial; his death in detention will be one verdict the Nigerian state cannot survive.
Mohammed Bello Doka can be reached via [email protected]
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