Dr Uche Diala has described the ongoing detention and bail conditions involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai as a political battle being presented as a legal and accountability process, arguing that media narratives have become an important part of the controversy surrounding the former governor.
According to Diala, the renewed debate over El-Rufai’s bail is not accidental, but part of what he described as an orchestrated media campaign aimed at shaping public perception of the former governor’s legal troubles.
Diala pointed to two newspaper publications on August 4, 2026, which he said focused on El-Rufai’s bail or what he termed his “non-bail.” He referenced an article by Onikepo Braithwaite in THISDAY’s The Advocate and an editorial published by Leadership Newspaper, noting that rejoinders to both publications were subsequently published in national newspapers.
He argued that the articles sought to influence public understanding of El-Rufai’s legal situation, describing them as part of a broader political and media battle.
The former governor has been involved in multiple criminal proceedings. In April, the Federal High Court in Kaduna granted El-Rufai ₦200 million bail with two sureties in a separate ICPC case, although the court ordered that he remain in custody until the conditions were fulfilled.
In May, the Federal High Court in Abuja also granted El-Rufai ₦100 million bail in the case concerning alleged unlawful interception of communications, with the court imposing conditions including a surety and the surrender of valid international passports.
However, a separate Kaduna State High Court proceeding has produced a different outcome. The court rejected El-Rufai’s bail application in April, citing the seriousness of the allegations and concerns relating to possible interference with investigations. In June, the same court again declined a bail application brought on medical grounds after considering disputed medical evidence.
It is this difference in the decisions of the courts that Diala says raises questions about the consistency of the bail process.
He argued that two Federal High Courts, handling separate proceedings involving the same defendant, had considered conditional liberty appropriate, while the Kaduna State High Court had repeatedly refused bail.
Diala further questioned why El-Rufai should continue to remain in custody despite the Federal High Court bail decisions, describing the situation as “non-bail” where bail has technically been granted but the conditions remain difficult to satisfy.
He also rejected what he described as attempts to win the case through the court of public opinion after failing to establish the desired outcome through the courts.
“Are conscientious Nigerians, whether you like El-Rufai or not, going to allow them to continue unchallenged?” Diala asked, urging Nigerians to pay attention to what he described as the broader implications of the case.
He argued that the issue should not be viewed solely through the prism of political loyalty to El-Rufai, but also in terms of the principles of due process, consistency in judicial decisions and the right to bail where applicable.
Diala concluded by urging Nigerians to allow their conscience and the truth to guide their assessment of the former governor’s case.
“Conscience is an open wound which only the truth can heal,” he said.
Abuja Network News
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