Paul Ibe, a media aide to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has again described the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai as politically motivated, claiming he has now spent 178 days in custody for opposing President Bola Tinubu.
El-Rufai, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress after defecting from the ruling APC, has been held by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission over an ongoing investigation into alleged financial impropriety during his time as governor. Ibe and other ADC-aligned figures have repeatedly called the detention a "sham legal trial," arguing El-Rufai has not yet been formally charged in court despite the length of his custody.
The claim adds to a running chorus of criticism from opposition figures, including 2027 presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore and El-Rufai's wife, who has separately appealed to Nigeria's international partners to press for due process in the case. The Presidency and ICPC have not directly responded to the political persecution characterisation, maintaining that the case concerns an active corruption investigation.