Abuja, Nigeria – Former Vice President and presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has issued a strong demand to the federal authorities, calling for the immediate release of all political detainees, including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
Okay News reports that Atiku made the declaration on Monday via his X platform shortly after returning to Nigeria from Umrah (lesser Hajj). The former Vice President disclosed that he had led a delegation on a solidarity visit to the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN.
During his address, Atiku explicitly condemned the practice of holding citizens in custody based on their political beliefs. “I wish to serve notice to the authorities detaining former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and all other political detainees to release them henceforth,” Atiku wrote. He further warned against ideology-based detention, stating that “no one should be detained simply because they do not share the same ideology or political platform with the government of the day.”
The former Vice President’s statements underscore the mounting concerns surrounding the treatment of opposition leaders and the growing debate over the detention of high-profile political figures under the current administration.
