February 13, (THEWILL) — Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Thursday accused the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, of masterminding an alleged attempt by security agencies to detain him at an airport, vowing that the development had further strengthened his resolve to work towards the removal of President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
El-Rufai made the allegation while receiving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who paid him a visit following the incident. He described the episode as “unfortunate, totally unnecessary and probably criminal,” insisting that due process was not followed.
He alleged that operatives of the Department of State Services acted on behalf of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission without issuing a formal invitation or prior notice.
“All I asked for was a letter of invitation and I would have honoured it,” he said, adding that the ICPC had not contacted him before the incident.
The former governor said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had earlier invited him for questioning, but his lawyer informed the commission that he was out of the country and would report on Monday at 10 a.m. He maintained that there was no justification for the airport action.
El-Rufai further alleged that the ICPC chairman acted on the instructions of the National Security Adviser, accusing the Federal Government of deploying security institutions for political purposes.
“We have reduced security agencies to the arms of a political party and a government that knows it is unelectable and wants to remain in power at all costs,” he said.
He warned that the politicisation of security agencies poses a serious threat to democratic governance and the rule of law, urging the opposition to remain focused and united ahead of the 2027 polls.
“This incident has only reinforced my belief that we must work harder. We must not sleep between now and March 2027 until we remove this tyrant from office,” he added.
Atiku, who visited El-Rufai after the incident, was said to have condemned the alleged action and called for adherence to constitutionalism, due process and institutional neutrality.
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