Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described the re-arrest of Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, as politically driven. El-Rufai was taken into custody by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Wednesday after a court appearance in Kaduna. The arrest came immediately following a hearing on his bail application in a corruption case brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission. The Federal High Court had adjourned the trial to April 14 for the bail ruling. DSS agents escorted El-Rufai from the courtroom and transported him to Abuja, according to reports. Atiku, speaking through his media aide Paul Ibe, claimed the APC government had tried and failed to win El-Rufai's allegiance. In a statement, Atiku said the temporary release of El-Rufai confirmed the political nature of the charges. "After the failure of what they had thought was a gambit in temporarily releasing Mallam Nasir el-Rufai (and the cold shoulder they got trying to lobby him), they've now resorted to dragging him all over the place," the statement read. Atiku added that El-Rufai, like any citizen, has the right to choose his political path.
Atiku's focus on the failed lobbying attempt exposes more than just political maneuvering—it reveals the administration's discomfort with El-Rufai's independence. The fact that DSS moved swiftly after a court adjournment, not a verdict, suggests enforcement actions are being timed for political effect. For Nigerians, this signals that legal processes involving high-profile critics may be less about justice and more about control. Atiku's statement does not change the law, but it sharpens public scrutiny on how power is exercised behind the scenes.
