Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and African Democratic Congress chieftain Dele Momodu have renewed calls for the release of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who has remained in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission since February.
Obi, through his media aide, Idris Zekeri, said the former governor’s case should be handled through due process, arguing that any allegations against him should be established before a competent court rather than through prolonged detention.
Zekeri said Obi had consistently spoken against El-Rufai’s continued detention, insisting that no Nigerian should be subjected to extended detention without proper legal proceedings and respect for fundamental rights.
“Peter Obi has been one of the most vocal since the issue of El-Rufai’s ordeal started,” Zekeri said, adding that Obi believed that if there was a case against the former governor, “it should be established instead of detaining him unlawfully for an extended period of time without actually dealing with the issue.”
Obi had earlier criticised El-Rufai’s detention in March, describing it as political persecution and calling for the rule of law to prevail.
Momodu, who is also a chieftain of the ADC, separately criticised El-Rufai’s continued detention during an appearance on a television programme on Friday.
He described the former governor as a “prisoner of conscience” and alleged that the circumstances surrounding his detention were political. Momodu also defended the decision to include El-Rufai in the ADC’s 2027 presidential campaign structure despite his continued custody.
The former Kaduna governor was initially detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on February 16 after honouring an invitation from the agency. He was subsequently transferred to ICPC custody on February 18.
El-Rufai has since faced criminal proceedings over allegations including financial misconduct and money laundering, which he has denied. The ICPC arraigned him in March, while he has also challenged aspects of his detention and the investigations in court.
In April, the Federal High Court in Kaduna granted El-Rufai ₦200 million bail with two sureties. However, the court ordered that he remain in ICPC custody until he fulfilled the bail conditions.
The latest reports indicate that he remains in custody while the legal proceedings continue. A Federal High Court in Abuja recently reserved ruling on his no-case submission in a separate case involving alleged unlawful interception of telephone communications involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, while his fundamental rights suit has also been adjourned.
The renewed calls by Obi and Momodu come as El-Rufai assumes a prominent position in the ADC’s 2027 campaign structure. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate, recently named El-Rufai as deputy chairman of his Presidential Campaign Council.
